Werder Bremen before a key game: Can Steffen make the breakthrough?

Werder Bremen before a key game: Can Steffen make the breakthrough?

On October 18, 2025 there was an exciting duel between Heidenheim and Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga. The match began at 3:30 p.m. in the Voith Arena and the Werder team arrived with the wind at their back, having secured a 1-0 home win against St. Pauli the previous week. Another win would have given Werder coach Horst Steffen their first success in two consecutive competitive games, which is a small sensation this season as the club has only been under his management in the current season. The memory of last year's 4-1 win in Heidenheim also made Bremen ambitious, as this was the highest win of the 2024/25 season, as butenunbinnen.de reports.

For Heidenheim, however, the situation looked anything but rosy. After six matchdays they were in last place with just three points and had the worst record in the league. Despite the challenges that coach Frank Schmidt's team had to overcome, there is a glimmer of hope here: Some teams such as St. Pauli, Mainz and Bochum also had weak starts in the past, but managed to secure relegation.

A game in goal mood

The game turned into a real spectacle for the spectators. Bremen quickly took the lead with a penalty goal from Romano Schmid in the 14th minute. From then on, Bremen dominated the game and Jens Stage made it 2-0 with a header from a corner in the 33rd minute. In the second half, it was Marvin Ducksch who made it 3-0 in the 66th minute, impressively proving why he was named player of the game. Heidenheim, who hardly had any clear chances in this phase of the encounter, was able to score the next goal through Luca Kerber in the 81st minute, but Bremen countered directly with another goal from Keke Topp in the 86th minute. In the end it was 4-1 for Werder Bremen, which gave the team a strong feeling going into the international break, as bundesliga.com noted.

The statistics of the game spoke clearly: Bremen were efficient on offense and were quickly supported by a very strong Marvin Ducksch, who was involved in three of the four goals. However, there were also a few missed opportunities at Heidenheim where no clear equalizer was achieved.

The trainers in focus

An interesting detail of the game was the experience and respect between the two coaches. Frank Schmidt, who led Heidenheim into the Bundesliga after more than 15 years, and the league's oldest coach, Horst Steffen, value each other and face great challenges. Steffen, who is in his first season as head coach, has already achieved a 4-0 win against Mönchengladbach with Werder and could further consolidate his game idea with his current form.

Particularly noteworthy is the young Karim Coulibaly, who is the youngest goalscorer this season at just 18 years and 99 days. This shows that Werder also focuses on youth development, while Schmidt shows future prospects with the 18-year-olds Yannick Wagner and Tobias Weigel, who are still waiting for their first goal.

Looking at Bremen's upcoming opponents, Union, Mainz and Wolfsburg are still on the program after Heidenheim. It remains to be seen whether the positive development under Steffen will continue. What is certain, however, is that the current encounter sends an important signal for the rest of the season.

The challenge does not remain easy for the people of Heidenheim. They have to prepare for relegation, where they will have to play against the third-place team from the second Bundesliga. It will be exciting to see whether they can take enough momentum from this game.