The DFB Pokal quarter-finals will be contested this week and the pick of the games on Tuesday night is between Bayer Leverkusen and Werder Bremen.
The all-Bundesliga clash is between two teams at either end of the league table and Bayer Leverkusen start the match in second place, while Werder Bremen find themselves in a relegation battle down in 15th place.
Bayer Leverkusen have been in great form and come into this match having lost just one of their last eighteen competitive games in all competitions. Their only defeat in that run has come against Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga and they are rightly classed as the second-best team in Germany right now.
In the DFB Pokal, Bayer Leverkusen have played three matches to get to this stage of the tournament. They required extra-time to beat Karlsruhe 3-0 away from home, then defeated Union Berlin 4-1 at home before a good 1-0 away win at Borussia Monchengladbach.
Bayer Leverkusen have lost only one match at home this season and that was the Bundesliga defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich. They have scored at least one goal in each of their home matches in all competitions but have kept only four clean sheets.
Werder Bremen make the trip to the BayArena having picked up an excellent 2-1 win at Schalke on the weekend in the Bundesliga. Two late goals saw them come from behind to win the match, with the winner being scored in the 93rd minute.
Therefore, Werder Bremen will head into this game in a positive mood, having moved out of the relegation zone following that win.
The win over Schalke was only their second in their last seven competitive games and their last win prior to the weekend came at home against Freiburg in the DFB Pokal. It was a 3-2 win and despite the close final score, Werder Bremen were in control for much of the game.
Despite their involvement in the relegation battle, Werder Bremen have been tough to beat recently and they have lost just three of their last eleven competitive games. However, they have drawn three and lost one of their last six games, which underlines why they find themselves towards the bottom of the table.
Werder Bremen’s DFB Pokal run started with a 3-0 win at Wurzburger Kickers. This victory was followed by wins over Hoffenheim and Freiburg, both of which were at home. Werder Bremen have won three away matches this season and have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last six.
Team News and Bayer Leverkusen have a fully fit squad to choose from for this game. They also have no suspension concerns so could field their strongest starting XI.
There is no such luck for Werder Bremen who several players on the treatment table including Fin Bartels, Michael Zetterer, Yuning Zhang, Jesper Verlaat, Ole Kauper, Philipp Bargfrede and Justin Eilers.
Werder Bremen will be buoyed by their result on the weekend and may find the back of the net in this game but expected to see Bayer Leverkusen progress to the next round.