The Comeback Kings from the Weser

SV Werder Bremen are enjoying a remarkable turnaround in form. After finishing 15th last season and battling relegation until well into the second half of the campaign, things are looking much brighter for Werder this time around. Following last weekend's 2-2 draw against Paderborn, Bremen travel to Mainz sitting eighth in the Bundesliga table. The 05ER, meanwhile, currently occupy fifth place thanks to their 1-0 victory at Schalke. Attention now turns to Saturday's clash at the MEWA ARENA (3:30 PM CEST, live on Sky, DAZN and 05ER.fm), where one of the two sides will be looking to continue their impressive run of form.

The Head Coach

Daniel Thioune took charge of Werder Bremen at a particularly difficult time. Following a run of ten matches without a win, the club found themselves just one point above the relegation play-off spot. The 52-year-old succeeded Horst Steffen in mid-February and secured Bundesliga survival on Matchday 33, a situation that was far from unfamiliar to him. At both VfL Osnabrück and Fortuna Düsseldorf, Thioune had previously taken over teams embroiled in relegation battles, steering them to safety before establishing greater stability in the following years. He even guided Osnabrück to promotion to the second division, while his time at Fortuna Düsseldorf saw him narrowly miss out on Bundesliga promotion following a dramatic relegation play-off defeat to VfL Bochum. His spell at Hamburger SV was less successful, however, as he was dismissed with three matchdays remaining in the 2020/21 season, despite HSV sitting third in the table at the time. Now at the helm of another major northern German club, Thioune is determined to make his mark in the Bundesliga with Werder Bremen.

The Squad

Werder Bremen have moved on from last season's experiment in the transfer market. The club had no fewer than seven loan players in their squad last season, but only Karl Hein was signed on a permanent deal. The 24-year-old has stepped into the shoes of Mio Backhaus, who was sold to SC Freiburg for a fee in the tens of millions. The squad has also undergone significant changes in other areas. Moussa Ndiaye, Arthur, Youri Regeer, Eren Dinkci and Niclas Füllkrug have all arrived on loan, while Oskar Wojcik, Dariusz Stalmach, Ludovit Reis, Chuki, Darwin Soylu, Kenny Quetant and Cedric Itten have joined on permanent deals. Despite another major squad overhaul, Thioune appears to have found his preferred starting XI.

Werder have fielded the same starting line-up in each of their last five matches. At the heart of the defence, Amos Pieper and captain Marco Friedl provide plenty of experience, while newcomers Arthur and Deman complete the back four. Several new faces also feature in midfield, with Reis and Regeer forming the central defensive partnership. Further forward, familiar face Marco Grüll is tasked with providing an attacking threat alongside returning player Dinkci and Chuki. There is also a familiar name leading the line: Niclas Füllkrug, affectionately known as "Lücke", is back scoring goals in Werder's green and white after three years away.

The Start to the Season

Following a 4-1 defeat away to SC Freiburg on the opening matchday, some critics felt their doubts had already been justified. However, Werder showed tremendous character in the games that followed, not only through their results but also in the manner in which they achieved them. They secured a 3-1 victory over Leipzig in their first home game before drawing 1-1 in Cologne. And that would not be the last time they came from behind to pick up points. In each of their next three matches, Thioune's side fought back from two goals down, beating Augsburg 3-2 before drawing 2-2 in Dortmund and 2-2 against Paderborn last weekend. No team had ever achieved that feat in three consecutive Bundesliga matches before, setting a new league record. Throughout those comebacks, Werder could always count on star striker Füllkrug. The 33-year-old played a part in every fightback, whether with his feet or his head, and currently leads the Bundesliga scoring charts with six goals this season.

The Last Meeting

Mainz picked up three crucial points in the relegation battle when the two sides last met. Thanks to a 2-0 victory at the Weserstadion in March, the 05ER eased their own relegation fears while pushing Werder Bremen further into trouble. Mainz showed little sign of fatigue from their midweek Conference League fixture, taking the lead through Paul Nebel after just six minutes. Shortly after the restart, Jae-sung Lee doubled the advantage to put Urs Fischer's side firmly on course for victory.