Winless VfL Bochum enter Saturday's gameweek 13 clash at Vonovia Ruhrstadion 14 points adrift of Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga table.
The hosts are the only side in Europe's top five leagues yet to win in 2024-25, and they hope to exploit Bremen's two-match losing run on their travels.
Match preview
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Despite an unforeseen 1-1 draw against Bayer Leverkusen in Dieter Hecking's first match as head coach, Bochum have fallen into previous habits with losses at Stuttgart (0-2) and Augsburg (0-1).
Those defeats have continued the Blues' pitiful start to the new season, an extension of last term's mediocre campaign that saw them narrowly avoid relegation to Bundesliga 2.
With two points secured from an available 36, the bottom club are already eight points shy of Heidenheim in the relegation playoff spot and nine behind St Pauli in 15th heading into this weekend's 13th round.
Indeed, they face an uphill battle for survival, with all four teams with similar or worse starts to their Bundesliga season failing to beat the drop.
Given the home side's poor record against Bremen — they have one win in 20 top-flight meetings, claiming four draws and losing 15 — you would forgive supporters in North Rhine-Westphalia for fearing further disappointment this weekend.
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The River Islanders aim to inflict more misery on their lowly opponents on Saturday, keen to improve on a positive historical record in this fixture and avoid a third road defeat in a row.
Ole Werner's men began the season accruing 10 points from 12 on their travels, even if losses to Borussia Monchengladbach (1-4) and second-placed Eintracht Frankfurt (0-1) have dampened the mood for the travelling support.
Those fans hope to avoid seeing their side fall to three away Bundesliga losses on the trot for the first time in over a year when they lost seven from April to October 2023.
Despite back-to-back disappointments on their travels, Werner's men claiming 10 of 16 points on the road point to a seeming preference for away matches, potentially standing them in good stead on Saturday.
Even though the River Islanders have won just once in five league outings, Bremen's goal stats (19) better the clubs in the bottom half of the standings, and the 12th-placed side look to exploit a Bochum outfit without a clean sheet in 28 league matches, aiming to notch a first Bundesliga victory since November 9.
Team News
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No goalkeeper has conceded more than Patrick Drewes's 33 in the German top tier, highlighting Bochum's defensive bugbear before gameweek 13.
At the other end, Die Blauen hope for improved finishing from Moritz Broschinski, who has yet to score this term and failed to convert six chances termed clear-cut opportunities.
Hecking's men will be without joint top scorer Myron Boadu due to a hip injury, while Jakov Medic's fractured eye socket keeps him out on Saturday.
Bremen could be without the doubtful Felix Agu, who has a knee issue, but Keke Topp's ankle problem is expected to rule out the young forward this weekend.
Jens Stage has netted five goals from midfield, outdoing Marvin Ducksch (three), and aims to add to that tally against struggling opponents.
VfL Bochum possible starting lineup:
Drewes; Oermann, Ordets, Bernardo; Passlack, Bero, Losilla, Sissoko, Wittek; Hofmann, Broschinski
Werder Bremen possible starting lineup:
Zetterer; Stark, Friedl, Veljkovic; Weiser, Stage, Lynen, Kohn; Njinmah, Schmid; Ducksch
We say: VfL Bochum 1-2 Werder Bremen
It will be interesting to see if Bochum can build on their only home match under Hecking, which ended in a 1-1 draw with Leverkusen.
While another positive result for the bottom club remains possible, we are backing the highest-scoring team in the bottom half of the table to secure a close victory.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
