Freiburg come into this one with the kind of quiet, grinding momentum that makes them so dangerous at the Europa-Park Stadion. They are a side built on structure, discipline, and the relentless energy of their midfield — a team that rarely blows you away but almost never beats themselves. The recent Conference League qualifier against Motherwell showed their squad depth and their ability to rotate without losing their shape, even with key absences like Oscar Priestman and Johnny Koutroumbis ruled out. That tells you everything about the culture Julian Schuster has instilled: no excuses, just the next man stepping into the system.

Werder Bremen, meanwhile, are a team in transition. New signings Wojcik and Hein are already sidelined with muscular problems, which is exactly the kind of disruption you don't want heading into a tricky away day. The snippets from their pre-season suggest Ole Werner is still tinkering, with Deman's resurrection as a left-sided option the quiet headline. But tinkering is not what you want against a Freiburg side that has been drilling the same patterns for years. Bremen's recent form has been patchy, and their away record against organised mid-table sides is a genuine concern. They have quality in the final third, but they lack the defensive solidity to win a tight, tactical battle on the road.