Opposition Check: SV Werder Bremen

Despite the trouble from last February, SV Darmstadt 98 can look back on good memories against Werder Bremen. In the first half of the 2023/24 season, for example, the North Germans were defeated at home 4-2. In addition, the Lilies have only lost two of eight competitive games against Bremen since 2015, but have never been able to win in the Weserstadion. But what is it called? The cup has its own laws! We take a closer look at SV 98’s round of 16 opponents.

“I don’t know of any player in our squad who hasn’t gotten better under him.”

With these words, Bremen’s goalkeeper Michael Zetterer praised his head coach Ole Werner in an interview with Sport 1. The 36-year-old has been on the sidelines of SV Werder Bremen since 2021, and last Thursday (November 28th) he celebrated his three-year anniversary on the Weser. Werner already had a good reason to celebrate with the North Germans in his first season: with SVW he was promoted to the Bundesliga straight away. Since then he has managed to steadily establish the team in the middle of the table in the top German league.

Before Werner started working in Bremen, he gained experience at his Holstein Kiel training club. There he caused a stir when, for example, he led the “Storks” to the semi-finals of the DFB Cup. On the way there, Werner and his team pulled off one of the biggest surprises in the cup in the quarter-finals: a victory on penalties against the record champions and cup winners FC Bayern Munich. After the game, Werner was enthusiastic: “I just met a lot of confused people in the dressing room. It is an extraordinary experience and something that will be remembered for many years to come.”

So Werner knows how the trophy works.

Switching off after a tour? That’s definitely not a good idea against SV Werder Bremen. In the current Bundesliga season, the boys from the Weser have impressively proven how dangerous they can be even when they are behind. Bremen were initially behind in eight games, but they saved at least one point in half of these games. They collected eight points with two wins and two draws. With this record, Werder is one of the strongest teams in the league when it comes to catching up. Only the reigning German champions Bayer 04 Leverkusen were able to generate more points after falling behind (9).

Jens Stage. A player in the best possible shape of his life. The Danish midfielder from SV Werder Bremen is currently enjoying an outstanding season in the Bundesliga and has five goals to his name so far. He scored three alone in Werder’s spectacular comeback in Hoffenheim, when they won 4-3 after being 3-0 down. A remarkable record, too, especially for a central midfielder. “I always said that I had to score goals. I have always scored goals in my career. Not many, but the number is okay. For me it is important to first get into the right situations. With self-confidence you score the goals,” explained Stage in an internal interview with the club.

His strong performances in the Werder shirt did not go unnoticed at international level. In October, the 28-year-old was called up to the Danish national team again after three years without being called up – for the Nations League games against Spain and Switzerland. While he was not yet used against the reigning European champions Spain, Stage was able to play his second international match for the senior national team against Switzerland. The Dane dreams of further appearances in the jersey of his home country in the future: “My goal, like every footballer, is to play there. I know that I have to work hard at the club and perform well. “First of all, I’m trying to do my best for Werder and I know that if I find the right moments, I’ll have a better chance of playing for the national team.”