Bayern should be on their guard ahead of the latest edition of the north-south showdown with Werder Bremen on Saturday (live text and webradio commentary from 15:30 CET on fcbayern.com). Florian Kohfeldt's team put on an impressive performance in the reverse fixture (1-1) and snatched a point at the Allianz Arena. "They didn't allow us any space in Munich. Those are the things we have to do better," said Hansi Flick in his press conference on Friday. Check out our preview for everything you need to know about the clash at the Weserstadion.
Enjoy the best images from Bayern's final training session before leaving for Bremen in our gallery:
The situation for FC Bayern
Despite the last encounter, however, Bundesliga leaders Bayern travel to Bremen as clear favourites. The two-point loss in November was the first after 19 consecutive league wins against the Green and Whites. In addition, the men from Munich proved what kind of will to win they have with another three straight competitive wins and an impressive comeback in the 4-2 win over Dortmund the week before. "That’s exactly the mentality, attitude and clarity I expect against Bremen as well," Flick demanded. After all, with just a two-point lead over closest pursuers Leipzig, the reigning champions can't afford to ease off - even though the Saxons have a tough clash in store with Champions League hopefuls Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday. The 56-year-old was unequivocal: "We have to look to ourselves and not worry about Leipzig."
Find out here about the other important games being played on Matchday 25:
The opponents: Werder Bremen
Thanks to the 2-0 win at Arminia Bielefeld in the midweek match, 12th-placed Bremen have opened up an 11-point cushion to the relegation zone. Since the start of the second half of the season, Werder have been steadily improving and, with 12 points and just the one defeat, are the fifth-best team of the second half of the season. Ahead of the clash with the record champions, the Northerners are understandably full of confidence: "We want to win every game and pick up points. Of course, the Bayern game is not the easiest of the season. We'll have to put in a lot of legwork, defend and fight. If we get three points in the end, we'll certainly be extremely happy," said SVW striker Josh Sargent in an interview. His coach also believes in his team: "We've had solid results against the lower teams, but we don't have a good record against the top ones. We want to pick up significantly more points in the coming weeks," said Kohfeldt.
Team news for Bremen vs. Bayern
Back in the squad for the Bremen match: Benjamin Pavard
"Benjamin Pavard is back with us," Flick revealed on Friday, referring to his squad selection for the Bremen match. The 2018 World Cup winner had been playing catch-up in training the previous week after isolating at home, but is now fit again for the Bundesliga match. There's a question hanging over David Alaba's involvement. According to Flick, the Austrian "didn't train with the team" during the week. In addition, Corentin Tolisso (ruptured tendon), Tanguy Nianzou (rehabilitative training following a torn thigh muscle) and Douglas Costa (hairline fracture in the right metatarsal) are still out.
Bremen, on the other hand, can draw from almost a full squad: "It's actually looking very good," confirmed coach Kohfeldt. "Apart from Marco Friedl, everyone is available for the game. That also includes Ömer Toprak and Ludwig Augustinsson, who are fully fit." According to Kohfeldt, Niklas Füllkrug, who has been struggling lately, is also expected to be ready in time for the game despite swelling in his ankle.
Team news, tactics and more: You can watch Hansi Flick's pre-match press conference before the game at Bremen (with English translation) here:
What the coaches say
Hansi Flick: "Bremen have a very good defence, they're very compact, are good at closing down the space and are dangerous in transitions. We experienced that in the reverse fixture. That's why it'll be important to have a good formation and dictate the play, similar to how we did it against Dortmund. We'll have to play aggressively when out of possession, have good solutions with the ball and create scoring chances."
Florian Kohfeldt (Werder Bremen coach): "Preparing for Bayern is always very special. The key is not only to think about defence. If you're courageous in possession and can relieve the pressure at times, you can hold your own. That should be the focus again on Saturday against Bayern."
If you want to know more about the game at Bremen, check out our facts and stats:
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