Werder Bremen: the 2022/23 season so far
Werder Bremen have made a strong start to life back in the Bundesliga, led by the goals of new Germany international Niclas Füllkrug.
The story so far
Bremen returned to the Bundesliga after a year’s absence as runners-up in the second division behind Schalke, but the Green-Whites have left the Royal Blues in their wake back in the big time. Ole Werner’s side began with back-to-back 2-2 draws before a truly incredible win at Borussia Dortmund (see below). That was then followed by a 4-3 loss at home to Eintracht Frankfurt as Bremen cemented their position as one of the Bundesliga’s most entertaining sides, even if consistency is probably what those in charge would prefer.
Only four teams have scored more than their 25 goals, while only Bayern Munich and Frankfurt matches have produced a greater number of goals than Werder’s 52 in 15. They have also established themselves as the late-goal experts, with 11 after the 76th minute (accounting for 44 per cent of their total) and five beyond the 90th – both the most of any team in the division.
Die Grünweißen have been marginally better on the road, with their only losses in seven away outings coming at the top two of Freiburg and Bayern. The latter – a 6-1 thumping in Munich – was their heaviest defeat under Werner and preceded a 2-1 loss at home to RB Leipzig to finish out the year on a bit of a low, but there can be few complaints about how their Bundesliga return has gone as they head into 2023 in ninth place. They are closer to the top four (six points) than the bottom three (seven).
Key player: Niclas Füllkrug
Werder have had a very consistent team in terms of selection since Werner took over last winter, but an undisputed star has emerged in Füllkrug. With 10 goals from 14 appearances, he’s second only to Christopher Nkunku in the Bundesliga scoring stakes and is the top German marksman across any of Europe’s top divisions. Two Player of the Month awards, voted for by fans, prove just how much of an impact the 29-year-old has made both for Bremen and on the Bundesliga in general this season. And he has now underlined his status as Germany’s top centre-forward with his cameo performances at the 2022 World Cup.
