Bremen hunting pts
Werder Bremen boss Klaus Allofs insists his side are hunting points rather than German league leaders Bayern Munich as they prepare to take on Nuremberg on Saturday.
Bremen are second in the Bundesliga behind Bayern as both sides have won four of their first five games this season, but Bayern already have a massive goal difference of 15 after last Saturday's 7-0 hammering of Freiburg.
Werder flirted with relegation at the end of last season and managing director Allofs said the club is more interested in getting back into the Champions League for next year, rather than chasing Bayern.
Bremen have injury concerns in midfielders Tim Borowski and Marko Marin who are both carrying leg injuries and Bremen's ex-Nuremberg midfielder Mehmet Ekici is expected to come into the starting line-up.
With leaders Bayern at Schalke on Sunday, victory would send Bremen top for at least 24 hours.
Bayern are waiting on the fitness of striker Mario Gomez, who has scored seven goals in his last two league games, and defender Daniel van Buyten.
Gomez, who scored four goals against Freiburg after also netting a hat-trick at Kaiserslautern, has complained of a sore groin, while van Buyten has pain in his Achilles tendon.
Third-place Moenchengladbach can also go top of the table this weekend if other results go their way and they manage to beat bottom side Hamburg, who have yet to claim a win this season after four defeats and a draw.
Striker Paolo Guerrero will miss the 'Gladbach game with a knee injury, while South Korean teenager Heung-Min Son is back in the squad and the 19-year-old striker may start.
'Gladbach are waiting on goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who broke two teeth in training on Thursday.
League leaders Dortmund are at Hanover on Sunday and will again be without suspended midfielder Mario Goetze.
Dortmund will have to do without defensive midfield international Sven Bender after he picked up a hip injury against Arsenal in the Champions League draw on Tuesday.
FIXTURES
Saturday
Bayer Leverkusen v Cologne, Hamburg v Borussia M'gladbach, Nuremberg v Werder Bremen, Hoffenheim v VfL Wolfsburg, Hertha Berlin v Augsburg, Kaiserslautern v Mainz 05
Sunday
Hanover 96 v Borussia Dortmund, Schalke 04 v Bayern Munich
Comments