Borussia Dortmund go into Borussia Dortmund vs Werder Bremen with 12 points from four Bundesliga games, a perfect start that has put them top of the table. Gregor Kobel has not been beaten in Bundesliga matches at Signal Iduna Park this season, and Dortmund have conceded only two league goals in total. Maximilian Beier's winner at Stuttgart on September 19 kept that run moving, while Borussia Dortmund have also won six matches in a row in all competitions.

Dortmund's defensive edge

The clean home record is the main reason this feels like a hard ask for Werder Bremen. Dortmund have not conceded a Bundesliga goal at home this season, and that has given them a platform to control games without having to chase them. Niko Kovac will know that the Stuttgart win was not flashy, but it was the kind of result that keeps a perfect start intact.

Sports Mole put the challenge in direct terms, saying Dortmund have been exceptional this season, and anything other than a seventh win in a row will be seen as a disappointment. They also noted that Werder could become the first Bundesliga side to breach BVB's defence at Signal Iduna Park this term.

Werder's chance to make this awkward

Werder are not arriving as passengers. They have seven points from four matches and beat Augsburg 3-2 on September 19 after coming from 2-0 down, with Marco Grüll supplying a goal and two assists. That sort of response is why this is a better Friday night preview than a simple mismatch.

There is also a small tension in Dortmund's recent form. The verified record shows four straight Bundesliga wins and six victories in a row in all competitions, which is slightly tighter than the seven-on-the-bounce phrasing floating around in the source material. Daniel Thioune's side have lost just one of their first five competitive games this season, so they have enough going for them to test Dortmund if the game opens up.

Dortmund still look the stronger side, and the cleanest numbers are on their side. Werder's best route is to turn it into a transition game, and Friday's Borussia Dortmund vs Werder Bremen meeting will tell us whether Kobel's home record holds when the table leaders are finally asked a real question.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →