Werder Bremen v Borussia Dortmund: Bundesliga stugglers targeting morale-boosting win

Werder Bremen and Borussia Dortmund will square-off in a battle of Bundesliga’s strugglers on Saturday.

Werder Bremen and Borussia Dortmund will square-off in a battle of Bundesliga’s strugglers on Saturday.

Cellar-dwelling Werder will host Dortmund, who occupy the relegation play-off spot, at the Weserstadion with just a point separating the two teams before the winter break.

After Stuttgart upstaged Hamburg on Tuesday, Dortmund dropped back into the danger zone as they twice squandered a lead to draw 2-2 at home to second-placed Wolfsburg on Wednesday.

Goals to Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang and Ciro Immobile sandwiched in between Kevin De Bruyne’s first-half equaliser had Dortmund on track for their first win in two outings.

But Naldo’s bullet header five minutes from time denied Dortmund a crucial win at Westfalenstadion.

“If you play like that and still concede the equaliser, you can never be happy,” former captain Sebastian Kehl said afterwards.

“We really needed the three points. At the same time, you have to be realistic: Wolfsburg are a really strong side and are rightly second in the table.

“That puts the result into perspective. We gave it everything but still it’s not all running as smoothly as it should. In some way, we have to be happy with the point.”

Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp was relatively pleased with the result, despite his side having only collected two wins from 13 league matches.

“It was an intense game against a very good opponent,” Klopp said.

“Wolfsburg are in top form and playing really good football. We have done very neat, that’s okay for now.”

Werder had a far tougher outing midweek, humbled 4-1 at Borussia Monchengladbach on Wednesday.

Monchengladbach showed no mercy, pouncing on Italian defender Luca Caldirola’s 66th-minute red card to leave Werder adrift at the foot of the table on goal difference.

With Werder struggling, coach Viktor Skripnik cannot wait for the Christmas break, which will see the league on hiatus until January 30.

“We are last, so of course we are very unhappy,” Skripnik told Werder’s official website.

“It’s hard to get out there but against Dortmund, we must again give anything for three points.
 
“Since we want to do well for the fans. Then, thanks be to God, comes the winter break in which we can prepare ourselves in peace and meticulously.”
 
Dortmund hold the edge over Werder, having gone six matches without a loss in all competitions.