Keep the unbeaten run going

Ole Werner on the opponents: “We need to be strong physically. We will have to be on our toes in the box and defend their crosses and set pieces well. Freiburg have a clear plan and have been a top side in recent years, competing in Europe too. It will be a very demanding task and we’ll need to perform extremely well again on Saturday.”

Squad news: Marvin Ducksch and Leonardo Bittencourt, who were both suspended for the game in Munich, will return to the squad to play Freiburg, however Milos Veljkovic (knee), Amos Pieper (broken ankle), Leon Opitz (ruptured ankle ligament) and Spyros Angelidis (broken hand) will all miss this weekend. “Unfortunately, none of them are fit yet,” confirmed Ole Werner. Veljkovic, however, isn’t too far off making his return. “A comeback against Mainz would still be a bit too optimistic, but he’s getting closer,” revealed the coach.

Aerial success

SVW conceded in injury time to lose the reverse fixture 1-0 (Photo: W.DE).

Previous meetings: This will be the 46th meeting between the two sides in the Bundesliga. Werder have recorded 23 wins so far, losing 12 times (D10). However, SVW’s last victory over Freiburg came almost four years ago, a 1-0 win in the 2019/20 season. Leonardo Bittencourt got the all-important goal to secure three vital points in the fight for survival.

Head-to-head: SVW have scored eight headed goals in the current season, a tally only topped by FC Bayern (11). Freiburg, who have netted six times from headers, have recorded the most headed shots in the division (53). They aren’t as clinical in the air as Werder, who have required just 40 attempts for their eight headed goals. Generally in 2023/24, Freiburg have been unlucky in front of goal. They have hit the woodwork on nine occasions, and their xG (31.2) is well below their actual goals tally (24).