Preview:Werder Bremen vs Union Berlin - prediction, team news, lineups

Union Berlin could further distance themselves from the Bundesliga's relegation zone with a victory against hosts Werder Bremen at Weserstadion on Friday.

Bremen's 2-2 draw with Heidenheim on October 18 means they face Union while in 12th place with eight points, four above the division's 16th-placed relegation playoff spot, whereas the away side are ninth with 10 points.

Match preview

Werder Bremen twice led in the second half against Heidenheim, and the most concerning aspect of their performance was the fact they faced 21 shots and over three xG, whereas their 17th-placed opponents only managed to produce nine shots per game in their first six league matches.

The Green-Whites rank poorly in a number of attacking metrics in the top flight, with the team generating the fewest shots (78) and the third least non-penalty xG (7.7), though their return of nine league goals is better than seven sides.

Boss Horst Steffen's club have conceded nine times in their last four games, picking the ball out of their own net at least twice in three of those fixtures.

Bremen's stalemate with Heidenheim means they have lost two, drawn one and won just one of their past four outings, and they have failed to triumph in six of their eight matches in 2025-26.

The hosts beat St Pauli 1-0 on October 4 at Weserstadion, but they were beaten in one and held to a stalemate in one of their other two home contests this season, conceding three times in each of those clashes.

Union beat Borussia Monchengladbach 3-1 on October 17, scoring for the first time in three games, though they failed to keep their second clean sheet in the Bundesliga.

Die Eisernen only conceded once last time out, but they conceded at least two goals in four of their previous five competitive outings.

Steffen Baumgart's team did not win any of their last two clashes against Bremen last term, losing 4-1 in December 2024 and drawing 2-2 at home in May.

The visitors have been defeated in three of their six most recent matches, sharing the spoils twice while getting the better of their opponents on two occasions.

In Union's three away clashes in the league, the club experienced two losses and just one victory, conceding nine goals while netting just three times.

Werder Bremen Bundesliga form:

Werder Bremen form (all competitions):

Union Berlin Bundesliga form:

Union Berlin form (all competitions):

Team News

Werder Bremen will still be unable to call upon defenders Niklas Stark and Maximilian Wober due to respective hip and thigh injuries.

The duo's absence means Steffen is set to rely on centre-backs Amos Pieper and Karim Coulibaly, while Senne Lynen is likely to be positioned ahead of them as a number six.

In the forward line, there is no reason to doubt the selection of Romano Schmid, though youngster Salim Musah will play no part because of a thigh problem.

Union's only confirmed injury absentee is Robert Skov, and the wing-back's void could be filled by Christopher Trimmel and Derrick Kohn.

Expect midfielders Rani Khedira and Aljoscha Kemlein to appear behind striker Andrej Ilic.

Werder Bremen possible starting lineup:

Backhaus; Sugawara, Pieper, Coulibaly, Friedl; Stage, Lynen, Puertas; Grull, Schmid, Mbangula

Union Berlin possible starting lineup:

Ronnow; Doekhi, Querfeld, Leite; Trimmel, Khedira, Kemlein, Kohn; Skarke, Ilic, Ansah

We say: Werder Bremen 0-1 Union Berlin

While Werder Bremen performed well last term against the visitors, their poor displays of late make it hard to back them on Friday.

Though Union have not been particularly impressive on the road, their hosts have rarely posed a threat in the final third, so the away side will be expected by many to emerge as winners.

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