Nordderby Preview | Werder Bremen vs Hamburg
Nordderby Preview | Werder Bremen vs Hamburg The two of Northern Germany’s biggest clubs are no strangers to big matches against each other. Werder Bremen and Hamburg meet on Saturday afternoon in what could turn out to be a season-defining clash for both sides . Back in April 2009, the two clubs were faced with one of the wildest schedules German football has seen.
They met four times in the space of three weeks, with Bremen overcoming their bitter rivals on penalties to reach the final of the DFB-Pokal. Die Werderaner backed that up by knocking Hamburg out at the same stage of the Europa League over two legs. As if those eliminations were not tough enough to take for Die Rothosen, three days later they succumbed to a 2-0 defeat at the Weser-Stadion – a result that extinguished any hopes of a first Bundesliga triumph since 1983 for the visitors.
Fast forward to 2026, and both clubs have been on a turbulent ride, with each suffering relegation in that time. Now, with both sides back in the Bundesliga together for the first time since 2018, they once again find themselves in precarious positions as the season edges towards its climax. Bremen sit two points above St.
Pauli in the relegation play-off spot after Die Kiezkicker’s draw with Köln on Friday night. Hamburg are also far from safe yet, sat three points above their famous foes. Therefore, depending on the result, Bremen could leapfrog Hamburg in the Bundesliga table with a win on Saturday afternoon.
The first of this season’s two Nordderbys took place in early December and delivered an absolute classic, with Hamburg emerging as 3-2 winners thanks to a dramatic late goal from Yussuf Poulsen. Sitting ninth in the table going into that match, this weekend’s hosts have suffered a drastic drop-off, which ultimately resulted in the sacking of head coach Horst Steffen. In his pre-match press conference, Daniel Thioune spoke about his relationship with Merlin Polzin: “I have nothing bad to say about him as a person – we share a long history together.