Tuchel: Bremen could cause Dortmund problems

Thomas Tuchel has stressed Borussia Dortmund cannot afford to underestimate Werder Bremen in Saturday’s Bundesliga encounter.

Dortmund sit second in the Bundesliga table with 23 points from 10 games, some 13 points above 14th-placed Bremen.

Nevertheless, Tuchel has warned his side against complacency at Weserstadion.

“It is very hard to say what to expect from Bremen. They could cause us problems,” Tuchel said at his pre-match news conference on Friday.

“There is always a great atmosphere in Bremen. We need to put in a great performance in order to get something out of the game.

“We are on the right path and want to continue on this road.”

Right-back Matthias Ginter has been a key figure for Dortmund going forward and Tuchel is delighted with the 21-year-old’s contribution so far this season.

“There are few defenders out there who have a hand in as many goals as Ginter,” the former Mainz boss added.

“The right-back position is a complicated one. You are often more of a winger in home games.

“But we cannot only focus on the attacking part. It is all about the defensive aspects of the role.”

Saturday’s encounter will be a special game for Sokratis Papastathopoulos, who joined Dortmund from Bremen in 2013.

The Greece defender said: “I have nothing but fond memories of Werder Bremen, but I am happy that I joined Dortmund at the time.

“The great fans and the sensational stadium are two of the reasons why I signed a new deal with BVB. The people here absolutely love football.

“It will be a difficult game against Bremen, but we are going out there to win.”