SV Werder Bremen: Can they succeed in breaking free?

It was a tough season for SV Werder Bremen that finished 16^th in Bundesliga. After an unusual weak Bundesliga campaign, they had to go into the play-offs against 1.FC Heidenheim that finished 3^rd in 2.Bundesliga. After 180 minutes and two draws (0:0 and 2:2), Werder Bremen stayed in Germany´s first division thanks to the away goal rule. Nevertheless, young head coach Florian Kohfeldt will continue to be Bremen´s most important man. He definitely has a big challenge ahead. Is Bremen ready to play a better season to come back into higher regions in the Bundesliga table?

In this data analysis, we will take a closer look at SV Werder Bremen´s squad, their players´ data, and statistics. Furthermore, this analysis will provide you with Bremen´s playing style.

Squad width

First of all, we will look at the squad structure and the width within the team. As you can see in the image below, Bremen´s current squad list has 33 names. A quite high number for a team that only participate in two competitions (Bundesliga and DFB Pokal). However, last season, Bremen struggled to find a starting eleven because most players being injured. That might be the reason why they want to have a bigger squad with more options next season. With 3 goalkeepers, they meet the Bundesliga standard. All in all, they have 4 options for their full-back positions (2 on the left side and 2 on the right side). With 5 centre-backs, they have enough options even one or two players get injured during the long season. In midfield, they can build on 9 central midfielders and further 2 offensive midfielders. That makes 11 midfielders in total and seems a bit overstaffed. Nevertheless, regarding the tight schedule, the unusual short winter break, and the number of national team matches, it might be a big advantage to have several options in midfield. Adding to that, Kohfeldt can choose between 2 left-wings and 3 right-wings. Their 5 strikers complete Bremen´s current squad list.

Goalkeepers

Jiri Pavlenka (28) was one of the best goalkeepers in the 2018/19 Bundesliga campaign. During the last season, he could not really help his team despite being at the peak of his career. Looking at his stats, he will have to improve his performances to be Bremen´s reliable support again. Stefanos Kapino (26) and Eduardo Dos Santos Haesler (21) are no competitors for the starting spot in the team but will be needed to keep the training standard as high as possible.