Preview: Hoffenheim vs Werder Bremen - prediction, team news, lineups

In the Bundesliga's penultimate matchweek, Champions League-chasing Hoffenheim will host relegation-threatened Werder Bremen at PreZero Arena on Saturday for a clash that will be crucial for both ends of the table.

Die Kraichgauer are desperate for a win to bolster their top four hopes, while Die Werderaner could secure their survival this weekend.

Match preview

Christian Ilzer's Hoffenheim have offered up one of the German top flight's many surprises this season, bouncing back from finishing 15th in 2024-25 to battle for Champions League football once again.

Die Kraichgauer were on course to qualify for UEFA's premier club competition for the majority of the campaign, but a run of one win in seven games that started with a 2-2 draw against FC Koln on February 21 put their chances in doubt.

However, Ilzer's side have found their feet in recent weeks, beating Borussia Dortmund 2-1 on April 18 before downing Hamburger SV by the same scoreline a week later, and the manager could yet be welcoming Europe's giants to the PreZero Arena next term.

That being said, a 3-3 draw against top-four rivals Stuttgart last weekend has opened the door for Bayer Leverkusen to make a surprise resurgence into what had seemed to be a two-team battle.

Heading into Saturday's crucial clash, Hoffenheim currently sit sixth in the Bundesliga table, level on 58 points with both Die Roten and Die Werkself, though it is Leverkusen who lead the trio thanks to their seven-superior goal-difference over Die Kraichgauer.

With just two games to play, Ilzer's men will likely need to collect six points from a possible six if they are to have any chance of finishing fourth, but fans of the hosts will be concerned that their team have only triumphed in one of their last five home outings - their victory over BVB three weeks ago.

Meanwhile, Werder manager Daniel Thioune has his team on the cusp of securing their Bundesliga status, a commendable feat for the 51-year-old boss, who is embarking on his first stint in charge of a top-flight club.

Since taking the reins from Horst Steffen back in February, Thioune has collected 13 points across 12 matches, winning four times, drawing once and losing on seven occasions.

While such a return appears modest out of context, Die Werderaner have earned half of their wins this season since the former Fortuna Dusseldorf chief was appointed, while climbing up to 15th in the table.

Bremen's current total of 32 points has them level with Koln, six clear of 16th-placed Wolfsburg and 17th-placed St Pauli, meaning that a draw this weekend would be enough to guarantee safety for another season.

However, the Green-Whites have tasted defeat in three of their last five outings, including a 3-1 beating by Augsburg most recently, but thankfully for Thioune, Werder will be safe if Wolfsburg and St Pauli drop points in either of their final two league fixtures.

Additionally, the travelling supporters will take heart from the fact that the visitors have only lost one of their last four on the road, downing Union Berlin 4-1 on March 8 as well as Die Wolfe 1-0 two weeks later, prior to their impressive 1-1 draw against Stuttgart on April 26.

Hoffenheim Bundesliga form:

Werder Bremen Bundesliga form:

Team News

Hoffenheim will be without right-back Valentin Gendrey due to an ankle issue, as well as centre-back Koki Machida, who is closing in on a return from a long-term knee injury but is unlikely to feature this weekend.

In their absence, Ilzer could opt for Ozan Kabak and Albian Hajdari at the heart of his defence, flanked by Vladimir Coufal and Bernardo at full-back.

As for Werder, they are missing defenders of their own, with centre-half Julian Malatini sidelined for the rest of the campaign after suffering an ankle injury, left-back Felix Agu recovering from a muscle issue, and ight wing-back Mitchell Weiser nearing a comeback from his anterior cruciate ligament injury.

With that in mind, expect to see a trio of Amos Pieper, Marco Friedl and 18-year-old Karim Coulibaly start in front of goalkeeper Mio Backhaus, while Yukinari Sugawara and Olivier Deman provide width from wing-back.

Elsewhere, striker Keke Topp is in the early stages of his rehabilitation after being struck down by a cruciate ligament injury in late March, though Jovan Milosevic should be on hand to lead the line, supported by Jens Stage and Romano Schmid.

Hoffenheim possible starting lineup:

Baumann; Coufal, Kabak, Hajdari, Bernardo; Kramaric, Avdullahu, Burger; Lemperle, Asllani, Toure

Werder Bremen possible starting lineup:

Backhaus; Pieper, Friedl, Coulibaly; Sugawara, Puertas, Lynen, Deman; Stage, Schmid; Milosevic

We say: Hoffenheim 2-1 Werder Bremen

Hoffenheim will be motivated to take all three points and confident of victory against one of this season's relegation contenders, but they will need to stay focused to avoid an upset.

Werder have the chance to secure their survival and will be fighting to make certain of their top-flight status, though it remains to be seen whether they can repeat the type of performance that saw them take a point against Stuttgart last month.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.