Almost all the European and relegation spots in the table are settled; however, both these teams have something vital to play for rather than just pride.
Werder Bremen is in true trouble. They could end up in a playoff for survival if they do not perform well in their last two games of the season. On the other hand, Eintracht Frankfurt, still in with a shout for the Champions League qualifying berth, will be looking to take advantage of any slip ups by Schalke. This clash will be an extremely interesting one.
Bremen last week was leading Hoffenheim, 2-0, and looked set to guarantee their survival. They conceded two goals in the final five minutes to shockingly draw the match 2-2! In Frankfurt, there were no such shocks. Die Adler steamrolled Fortuna Düsseldorf, 3-1. They can guarantee at least Europa League football with a win this weekend. In the process, they could sink one of the Bundesliga’s best teams in the last decade into serious trouble.
Frankfurt will play possession based football. This could actually be good for Bremen as they cannot deal well with fast paced, counterattacking sides. Bremen’s defensive lapses have seen them concede 62 goals, the highest number in the league along with TSG Hoffenheim. Frankfurt on the other hand has conceded 43. At the other end, Bremen’s talented but temperamental attack has registered one more than Frankfurt, 47 compared to Eintracht’s 46.
Bremen is exactly three points ahead of Fortuna and Augsburg. If those two clubs win this weekend and Bremen loses, Werder could sink down to sixteenth by virtue of an inferior goal difference. They will then have to take on the third placed side from the 2. Bundesliga, possibly Kaiserslautern, to remain in the Bundesliga.
The previous meeting between the two did not end happily for Bremen. They were taken apart, expertly, 4-1. Alexander Meier opened the scoring early in the second half. Nils Petersen equalized shortly afterwards. Pirmin Schwegler scored a fantastic goal just after the hour mark to put Frankfurt ahead. Stefan Aigner scored a minute after his captain’s strike to put the Eagles just out of reach. Takashi Inui added insult to injury in the dying minutes to complete the rout.
Another such rout could see the end of Thomas Schaaf’s reign at Bremen. His team will feature without Elijero Elia and Marko Arnautovic, two of their most talented stars, due to disciplinary reasons. Arnautovic especially has been difficult to control ever since he moved to Bremen; his antics off the pitch have shadowed his good displays on it.
Will Frankfurt edge a step closer to Europe or will Bremen edge a step closer to relegation?
Prediction:
Werder Bremen 2-2 Eintracht Frankfurt
Bremen last week was leading Hoffenheim, 2-0, and looked set to guarantee their survival. They conceded two goals in the final five minutes to shockingly draw the match 2-2! In Frankfurt, there were no such shocks. Die Adler steamrolled Fortuna Düsseldorf, 3-1. They can guarantee at least Europa League football with a win this weekend. In the process, they could sink one of the Bundesliga’s best teams in the last decade into serious trouble.
Frankfurt will play possession based football. This could actually be good for Bremen as they cannot deal well with fast paced, counterattacking sides. Bremen’s defensive lapses have seen them concede 62 goals, the highest number in the league along with TSG Hoffenheim. Frankfurt on the other hand has conceded 43. At the other end, Bremen’s talented but temperamental attack has registered one more than Frankfurt, 47 compared to Eintracht’s 46.
Bremen is exactly three points ahead of Fortuna and Augsburg. If those two clubs win this weekend and Bremen loses, Werder could sink down to sixteenth by virtue of an inferior goal difference. They will then have to take on the third placed side from the 2. Bundesliga, possibly Kaiserslautern, to remain in the Bundesliga.
The previous meeting between the two did not end happily for Bremen. They were taken apart, expertly, 4-1. Alexander Meier opened the scoring early in the second half. Nils Petersen equalized shortly afterwards. Pirmin Schwegler scored a fantastic goal just after the hour mark to put Frankfurt ahead. Stefan Aigner scored a minute after his captain’s strike to put the Eagles just out of reach. Takashi Inui added insult to injury in the dying minutes to complete the rout.
Another such rout could see the end of Thomas Schaaf’s reign at Bremen. His team will feature without Elijero Elia and Marko Arnautovic, two of their most talented stars, due to disciplinary reasons. Arnautovic especially has been difficult to control ever since he moved to Bremen; his antics off the pitch have shadowed his good displays on it.
Will Frankfurt edge a step closer to Europe or will Bremen edge a step closer to relegation?
Prediction:
Werder Bremen 2-2 Eintracht Frankfurt
