German Bundesliga - Werder Bremen vs. Bayern Munich - Preview & Prediction
Tangled in a heavy battle to avoid relegation this season, 17th-placed Werder Bremen are set to host Bayern Munich, who in case of a victory here will be crowned this year’s Bundesliga champions. Kick-off - at 14:30 PM ET on Tuesday, June 16.
Bremen Triumph In Paderborn
Werder Bremen collected oh-so-important three points in their bid to remain in the Bundesliga for the next season after thrashing bottom-dwelling Paderborn with a count of 5-1 away at Benteler-Arena on Saturday. The Green-Whites ended a two-game losing streak, during which they failed to score a single goal, as Dutch midfielder Davy Klaassen bagged his first Bundesliga double, with Yuya Osako, Maximilian Eggestein and Niclas Fullkrug all also on the scoreboard. Sporting a W7 D7 L17 record, Werder Bremen are on level points with Fortuna Dusseldorf for the relegation play-off spot, but with an inferior goal difference by a single snipe.
With seven snipes in his pocket, Kosovar attacking midfielder Milot Rashica leads the Green-Whites in scoring but has failed to get on the scoreboard for 1,259 minutes since last finding the back of the net in a 6-1 defeat to Bayern Munich on Dec. 14. Goalie Jiri Pavlenka, meanwhile, sits 3rd in the Bundesliga with 99 saves. He has registered four clean sheets in 30 appearances this season and allows a goal every 44 minutes of play. Werder Bremen are 3rd in the least goals scored this year (35), 13th in most shots delivered per game (12.4), 9th in ball possession (48.8%), and 7th in passing accuracy (78.5%).
Bayern Edge Out Gladbach
League-leading Bayern Munich moved within just a single victory for their eighth consecutive Bundesliga title after edging out top-four hopefuls Borussia Monchengladbach with a count of 2-1 at Allianz Arena on Saturday. Playing without the suspended duo of Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller, who lead the Reds in league goals and assists respectively, Bayern got the score rolling through a first-half strike by Joshua Zirkzee, ending the proceedings with Leon Goretzka’s sixth marker of the season four minutes from time after Benjamin Pavarad’s own-goal gave Gladbach hope at the end of the first half. Sporting a W23 D4 L4 record so far this season, the Reds are leading the Bundesliga seven points ahead of Borussia Dortmund with three games remaining, needing just a win against Werder Bremen to clinch their record-30th German title.
Polish striker Lewandowski tops Bayern’s scoring chart, having picked up a league-high 30 snipes in the Bundesliga this season. Goalie Manuel Neuer, meanwhile, occupies the 11th place in the keeper table, having stopped 79 shots in 31 appearances this year. He has collected 13 clean sheets and gives up a goal every 90 minutes on average. Bayern Munich has scored the highest amount of Bundesliga strikes during the current campaign (92) while taking the highest number of shots per game (18.2). The team is top of the league in both ball possession (61.9%) and passing accuracy (87.0%).
Prediction
Bayern Munich have not lost to Werder Bremen since the Green-Whites snatched a 5-2 victory in Bavaria in September 2008, going unbeaten against Die Werderaner for 26 encounters in all competitions (W23 D3), currently riding a 21-game winning streak. And with the Bundesliga title guaranteed in case of a victory here, expect the Reds to go for another triumph! Werder Bremen looked deadly against the league’s worst team on Saturday, but facing the Bundesliga leaders is a completely different matter altogether. Bayern have won their last 10 outings and have gone unbeaten in Germany’s top tier since a 2-1 defeat at Borussia Monchengladbach on Dec. 7, spanning 17 matches (W16 D1), earning nine clean sheets throughout the stretch.
Best bets:
Bayern Munich to win to nil (+110)
Robert Lewandowski to score two or more goals (+160)