Borussia Dortmund host Werder Bremen in the second round of the DFB Pokal on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. Kick-off is scheduled for 19:45 local time at Signal Iduna Park. The teams drew 2-2 at the same ground on October 9, giving this cup meeting a recent reminder of how difficult they can be to separate. Dortmund arrive after back-to-back victories and have conceded relatively few goals in their latest matches. Bremen, meanwhile, are unbeaten in five, with a more productive attack but a defence that has regularly allowed chances. Those contrasting records make for a Borussia Dortmund vs Werder Bremen preview with several competing signals: the hosts have the stronger recent defensive figures, while the visitors have repeatedly been involved in games featuring goals at both ends.

Borussia Dortmund's Recent Form and Key Stats

Borussia Dortmund have recovered from a run of three matches without a win. A 2-1 victory over Sabah FK was followed by a 1-0 success against Eintracht Frankfurt on October 24. Across their last five matches, Dortmund have recorded two wins, two draws and one defeat, averaging 1.0 goal scored and 0.8 conceded per game. The narrow win over Frankfurt fits a recent pattern: across six matches, their games have produced an average of 1.67 total goals, and Dortmund have scored six times in that span.

Those numbers suggest the hosts have recently relied more on keeping games controlled than on producing high-scoring results. Their DFB Pokal campaign began with a win in which they scored five goals and conceded none, although their more recent scoring rate is considerably lower. The defensive record gives Dortmund a platform for this tie, but finding a way past Bremen remains important after the teams shared four goals in their meeting earlier this month.

Recent meetings provide encouragement as well as a warning for the home side. Dortmund are unbeaten in the five head-to-head matches covered by the supplied summary, with two wins and three draws. However, they have failed to win three of their last five home games against Bremen. Another close contest would therefore be consistent with their recent results against these opponents, even if Dortmund have avoided defeat across that five-match head-to-head sequence.

Coach Niko Kovac has several absences to manage. Giannis Konstantelias is out with a cruciate ligament injury, while Konstantinos Karetsas has a ligament injury. Kaua Prates, Mussa Kaba and Justin Lerna are also unavailable. With no player standing out as a frequent scorer during Dortmund's recent low-scoring spell, their ability to make the most of their attacking opportunities could be significant.

Werder Bremen's Recent Form and Key Stats

Werder Bremen travel to Dortmund following a 3-2 win over FSV Mainz 05 on October 24. Their last five matches have brought two victories and three draws, with averages of 2.2 goals scored and 1.8 conceded. That unbeaten run shows their ability to keep collecting results, but the goals-against figure also points to a very different recent pattern from Dortmund's. Bremen have not kept opponents below two goals in any of their last five games, according to the match account.

There is a clear attacking focal point in Niclas Füllkrug. The striker has scored eight goals in Bremen's last six matches and also found the net in the 2-2 draw at Dortmund on October 9. He scored in Bremen's first-round DFB Pokal match as well. His recent output gives the visitors a strong source of goals, particularly if they can reproduce the attacking threat they showed on their previous visit to Signal Iduna Park.

Bremen's recent matches have frequently remained active beyond the interval: there has been at least one second-half goal in 20 of their last 21 games. Their away fixtures have also produced more than 10.5 corners in each of the last nine. Neither trend determines how this cup tie will unfold, but both add context to a Bremen side whose matches have tended to feature sustained action. In the DFB Pokal this season, they have one win, averaging three goals scored and none conceded.

The visitors also face a substantial list of absences. Niklas Stark, Skelly Alvero, Salim Musah, Felix Agu, Moussa Ndiaye, Justin Njinmah, Jens Stage and Keke Topp are unavailable. Their unbeaten five-match run and Füllkrug's scoring form remain positive indicators, but Bremen will have to manage those absences against a Dortmund side that has conceded only four goals across its last five matches.

Borussia Dortmund vs Werder Bremen Match Analysis

The central question is whether Dortmund can impose their recent low-scoring rhythm or whether Bremen's more open games set the tone. Dortmund's last five matches have featured modest scoring averages at both ends, and five of the previous eight meetings between these teams finished with no more than three goals after 90 minutes. Bremen present a counterpoint: they have averaged 2.2 goals scored across their last five while conceding 1.8, and their latest trip to face Dortmund ended 2-2.

Dortmund's stronger defensive figures make Bremen's scoring task harder than their recent attacking average alone might suggest. At the other end, though, Bremen's run of conceding at least twice in five straight matches gives the hosts reason to believe they can create openings despite scoring just once per game on average in their own last five. The recent head-to-head record offers no clear promise of a comfortable result: Dortmund have not lost any of the five meetings in the supplied summary, yet three ended level.

For this DFB Pokal match preview, the most persuasive common ground between the two teams' records is the possibility of a goal for each side. Bremen have a prolific recent scorer in Füllkrug and scored twice on their last visit, while Dortmund have won their last two matches and face visitors who have struggled to keep goals out. Dortmund's recent defensive strength makes that outcome far from certain, but the combination of Bremen's attacking form and defensive vulnerability gives it a clear factual basis.

Borussia Dortmund vs Werder Bremen prediction from BetMines: Both Teams To Score (Yes) with 61% probability.