Bayern Bremen preview, the last occasion to make adjustments
A small game before the biggest one of the season. That is how we expect FC Bayern to approach an encounter with Werder Bremen on Saturday, as Real Madrid will remain in everyone’s head.
Bremen, saved
Injuries: Fritz, Stevanovic, Yildirim
Relegation avoided. We wondered how close Werder Bremen would be to the “drop zone” during the winter break, but coach Robin Dutt managed to pull out of it. His team has won enough games to avoid the humiliation that Hamburg currently is going through.
The greens have dealt with a number of injuries earlier this season, which didn’t help them to get much consistency in the league. Dutt also had to make some changes, such as using Raphael Wolf in goal.
His formation? A mix of of 4-3-1-2 with Eljero Elia and Franco Di Santo or Nils Petersen as strikers, with playmaker Aaron Hunt behind them. Or 4-2-3-1 with Elia on the wing and Petersen as striker.
The attacking players can be very dangerous, with pace on the counterattack. Hunt is quick, has a solid shot and passes well. Elia has good ball control and footwork. Nils Petersen has finishing skills, but his scoring rate is a bit disappointing these days.
In general, Bremen spends a lot of time pinned in its own half. The passing accuracy isn’t there and it doesn’t shoot often on goal. The club tops the Bundesliga with 69 yellow cards.
The defence is poor. It either bunches up against the ball carrier, without being able to stop him, or plays very loosely. Its offside trap is beatable. Bremen also has scored three own-goals this season, not something to be proud of.
One of the rare bright spots, defensively, is holding midfielder Philipp Bargfrede. He re-established himself in the position after having many injuries in the last few years. Beware of his interceptions and physical play, but he earns a lot of yellow cards.
Some of Werder’s wins are questionable. The team benefited from soft goals conceded by Hannover. There is plenty to look forward to in a match against those guys. Although they are very likely to park the bus this time, as all teams do against Bayern.
What remains to be seen is whether this team will be one of the top German sides again.
Possible lineup
Werder Bremen (4-3-1-2)
Wolf
Selassie, Prödl, Caldirola, Garcia
Bargfrede
Junuzovic, Makiadi
Hunt
di Santo, Elia
Bayern, decisions to make
Injuries: Starke, Shaqiri, Thiago. Suspended: Rafinha
On Bayern’s side, it’s crunch time. Pep Guardiola’s game plan has failed in recent weeks and it’s time to make a few personnel decisions.
The lineup he will put out on Saturday may indicate how serious the guy is about winning the Champions League. I can’t wait to see who plays 90 minutes, possibly missing the return leg against Real Madrid.
Why am I saying that? Guys such as Franck Ribéry and Bastian Schweinsteiger (to a lesser extent) are out of form. I am not sure that having them starting the games is a good idea to win at the moment.
We all know that this game won’t be taken seriously, unless Pep wants to make tactical changes and test them once before facing Madrid again. That would mean fixing the central midfield by giving Javi Martinez a good run in his natural position. It would also mean putting less emphasis on possession, to focus on what we do with the ball. That’s attempting to score.
It could be the right time to do some of that against a Bremen team that has defensive shortcomings.
We could win this game by a pair of goals, but it depends on the team’s motivation. And on whether the coach is ready to make changes in his system.
Possible lineup
FC Bayern (4-2-3-1)
Raeder
Lahm, van Buyten, Boateng, Alaba
Hojbjerg, Schweinsteiger
Robben, Kroos, Ribéry
Pizarro
Game details
Matchday: 32
Time: 26 April, 15:30 CET
Location: Allianz Arena, München
TV listings
On four yellow cards: Prödl, Ekici, Kroos
Referee: