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The two of Northern Germany’s biggest clubs are no strangers to big matches against each other. Werder Bremen and Hamburg meet on Saturday afternoon in what could turn out to be a season-defining clash for both sides.
Back in April 2009, the two clubs were faced with one of the wildest schedules German football has seen. They met four times in the space of three weeks, with Bremen overcoming their bitter rivals on penalties to reach the final of the DFB-Pokal. Die Werderaner backed that up by knocking Hamburg out at the same stage of the Europa League over two legs. As if those eliminations were not tough enough to take for Die Rothosen, three days later they succumbed to a 2-0 defeat at the Weser-Stadion – a result that extinguished any hopes of a first Bundesliga triumph since 1983 for the visitors.
Fast forward to 2026, and both clubs have been on a turbulent ride, with each suffering relegation in that time. Now, with both sides back in the Bundesliga together for the first time since 2018, they once again find themselves in precarious positions as the season edges towards its climax. Bremen sit two points above St. Pauli in the relegation play-off spot after Die Kiezkicker’s draw with Köln on Friday night. Hamburg are also far from safe yet, sat three points above their famous foes. Therefore, depending on the result, Bremen could leapfrog Hamburg in the Bundesliga table with a win on Saturday afternoon.
The first of this season’s two Nordderbys took place in early December and delivered an absolute classic, with Hamburg emerging as 3-2 winners thanks to a dramatic late goal from Yussuf Poulsen. Sitting ninth in the table going into that match, this weekend’s hosts have suffered a drastic drop-off, which ultimately resulted in the sacking of head coach Horst Steffen.
In his pre-match press conference, Daniel Thioune spoke about his relationship with Merlin Polzin: “I have nothing bad to say about him as a person – we share a long history together. We’re not looking to rival each other – the focus is on the game between Werder Bremen and HSV. We keep in contact, both about private and footballing matters. The rivalry is on the pitch this weekend.”
Polzin was equally full of praise for his opposite number when he spoke to the media on Thursday. Speaking about Thioune and his team, he said: “Since Daniel Thioune took over, you can see what style of play they want to stand for. It’s a great team with great individual players that has already had to go through one or two difficult moments this season. They have always managed to pull themselves out of it.”
A Bremen victory on Saturday would see them leapfrog Hamburg in the table and take a huge stride towards survival. On the other hand, a win for the away side would leave Hamburg on the verge of securing safety in their first season back in the Bundesliga after a seven-year absence.
Team News:
Werder captain Marco Friedl will be missing for the hosts as he serves a one-game suspension. Cameron Puertas will return to the matchday squad and could potentially start, while a late decision will be made on the club’s top scorer, Jens Stage, as to whether he will be fit enough to play a part. Victor Boniface and Keke Topp both remain sidelined.
For Hamburg, Polzin appeared confident that Luka Vušković would be fit enough to be included in the squad after the Croatian suffered a knock while on international duty. Fellow goalscorer from the reverse fixture earlier in the season, Albert Sambi Lokonga, will undergo a late fitness test. Prominent absentees for Hamburg include Jean-Luc Dompé and Yussuf Poulsen, who both continue their rehabilitation.
Predicted XI’s
Werder Bremen:
Mio Backhaus – Yukinari Sugawara, Amos Pieper, Karim Coulibaly, Olivier Deman – Leonardo Bittencourt, Senne Lynen – Marco Grüll, Romano Schmid, Felix Agu – Justin Njinmah
Hamburg:
Daniel Heuer Fernandes – Warmed Omari, Jordan Torunarigha, Daniel Elfadli – William Mikelbrencis, Nicolas Capaldo, Nicolai Remberg, Philip Otele – Fabio Vieira –Ransford Königsdorffer, Rayan Philippe
GGFN | Harry Good
