Bundesliga Betting: Werder Bremen and Thomas Schaaf in last-chance saloon

German Football / Razhan Miran / 31 October 2008 / Leave a Comment

Struggling Werder Bremen need a win against Hertha Berlin at the weekend and will probably get it, as will Bayer Leverekusen, says Razhan Miran.

Hoffenheim climb back to the top of the league once again to prove they are genuine contenders this year. A crushing victory over Hamburg last weekend, followed up by an impressive midweek win away to Bochum, has surely convinced doubters of their Champions League credentials.

A bitterly cold midweek and an intriguing round 10 of fixtures presented no real surprises. All played out as expected, other than Bremen's two-nil loss at home to Leverkusen, which was another telling blow to their campaign and Thomas Schaaf's future.

Werder are at home to Hertha Berlin on Saturday, and with the pressure mounting, must go all out for the three points. Werder are sitting in tenth place at the moment, and with no wins from the last six games, have a tough task against fifth place Hertha. A contrasting run of form has seen them shoot up the table in recent weeks, and with Marko Pantelic firing on all cylinders, the catastrophically poor Bremen defence will have a tough time keeping him quiet.

Indeed I predict they won't, and as usual Bremen will concentrate on out-scoring their opponents. Both Diego and Claudio Pizarro were missing midweek, which will certainly explain why they drew a blank against Leverkusen; however both could be back against Hertha, who have no injury concerns of their own.

This fixture has produced many goals in the past, and I cannot see how Saturday will be any different. Thus the bet here is the Over 2.5 Goals, so take the [1.63] on offer. Also, I cannot see Werder losing out on another three points this weekend, so the [1.8] available is a nice price, and worth backing.

Hamburg seem to have responded well to their heavy defeat last weekend with a two-nil win over struggling Stuttgart. They visit Hannover on Saturday with the intention to reclaim top spot, and with the hosts suffering from an injury crisis, three points is certainly on the cards. Hannover coach Dietmar Hecking will be without Robert Enke, Michael Tarnat, Valerien Ismael, Mario Eggimann, Jan Rosanthal and Arnold Brugging. And with no wins in the last four, the [2.2] is certainly too big. The better bet would probably be Hamburg +0&+0.5 in the Asian Handicap at [2.1], to cover yourself on the draw.

Leverkusen welcome Wolfsburg to the Bay Arena for the Friday night game, knowing a single point will take them top. They were excellent midweek, and with a fully fit team available, Wolfsburg could be in for a tough time. Felix Magath would have been disappointed last week, after throwing away a two-nil lead over Bayern, but managed to steer his team to a comfortable win midweek. Magath has no injury conerns either, and will be hoping his players can at least claim a point.

However, the Leverkusen home win is huge at [1.94], so take it whilst you can. They will prove to be too strong for Wolfsburg, who may hold out for at least a half. So the Draw/Leverkusen at [5.5] may prove to be the shrewdest bet of all, as will the Under 2.5 Goals at [2.56].