German Bundesliga
2009-09-26 - Werder Bremen vs Mainz
A Sports Betting Pick by Niko
Football: Germany, Bundesliga 2009/2010
Weserstadion
Saturday 26th September 2009 – kickoff 15:30
Werder Bremen
Werder Bremen finally started to play better and since the opening defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt they have been unbeaten in the last five rounds.
However, last two rounds were goalless draws so probably now is the time for the team to start scoring and wining at their home ground where their performances have been far from impressive.
Bremen are ninth on the Bundesliga table with 2 wins, 3 draws and 1 lost match in the first round.
At midweek Werder Bremen won their second round home match against FC St. Pauli 2-1 in the German Cup, where they are defending champions, and advanced into the Round of 16 of the competition.
Further good news for the head coach Thomas Schaaf is that his midfielder Mesut Ozil returned to team training for the first time in nine days.
Since the departure of Diego, Ozil is a key player of this team and a good leader on the pitch. He is a box to box player, and also very dangerous when goes in the attack. He also debuted in the German national team, so a lot is expected from this player.
Werder will be slightly tired from the DFB Cup match, but there won`t be much changes in the starting eleven that won the match against St.Pauli.
Pizzaro will again be in the attack along with Tim Borowski, with Naldo and Torsten Frings in the midfield.
Still unavailable, however, is Hugo Almeida, who has a plantar tendon inflammation but is expected to resume with trainings next week, and regarding Daniel Jensen, Coach Schaaf said that he needs to work more on the trainings if he wants to be part of the team.
Mainz
Mainz keeps surprising everyone with the way they play. They were promoted last year at started playing aggressively from the start. They managed to get a win against the giants Bayern and they have won two more matches after they were down. They use offensive style of football, which obviously brings results.
Last week against Bochum, Mainz were twice a goal down and still managed to win away 3-2. They are at fifth place with 3 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss and are among top five teams in the Bundesliga with double-digit goals scored (10).
Mainz have a very good attacker in Bance, who has scored three times in six matches.
Another player that contributes in the midfield and attack and has proved his worth is the young 18-year old André Schürrle who has received a professional contract with the team until June 30, 2013.
This player is from Mainz' own youth department and has managed the jump to the starting eleven of the professionals this season. Schürrle scored two goals in the last week’s away game against the VfL Bochum, which were also his two first Bundesliga goals.
Schürrle has also already worn the German national team jersey and in eleven performances for the German Junior national teams Schürrle has scored four times. The striker was also honored as one of the best youth talents by the DFB this summer.
There are no reports of injured or suspended players for this match.
The Betting Verdict
Although Mainz plays impressively, i think that Werder Bremen after two draws has a good chance to break the Mainz` run and get a win here. Mainz are in hot form and probably they will manage to score but also Werder needs to start playing much better at home ground.
Werder Bremen also has a good head to head record against Mainz and has lost only one match in the last six meetings between these sides.
I think that Mainz will be satisfied with a draw here, and if they score first they will try to defend it.
Werder Bremen are unpredictable but I do not think they will slip to win this time.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Werder Bremen 2-1 Mainz
BEST BETTING TIP :
Home win for Werder Bremen
