Borussia Dortmund head into their final Bundesliga match of the season with history firmly on their side. When they travel to the Weserstadion to face Werder Bremen, they'll be chasing an impressive record that stretches back nearly a decade: BVB haven't lost a league game in Bremen since December 2014.
The stakes are clear: 15th-placed Werder against second-placed Dortmund. Bremen secured their top-flight survival last week, while Borussia have already locked up the runners-up spot. But don't expect Edin Terzić's side to take it easy—a win would lift them to 71 or 73 points, their best tally in seven years since the 76-point haul of 2018/19.
Bremen's home form has been shaky all season, with just five wins, four draws, and seven defeats at the Weserstadion—only four teams have a worse home record. They've lost three of their last four matches on home soil. For Dortmund, an away victory would mark their most successful road campaign since 2019/20, when they collected 33 points away from home (they currently sit on 29).
The head-to-head numbers make for even better reading for BVB fans. Dortmund have lost just one of their last 11 Bundesliga meetings with Werder, winning six of the last seven. Only Eintracht Frankfurt (51 times) have been beaten more often by Borussia than Bremen (49 times) in Bundesliga history. And here's a remarkable stat: Dortmund have scored in every single one of their last 24 encounters with Bremen—the last time they drew a blank was in a 0-2 defeat in May 2011.
Defensively, Dortmund have been clicking at both ends. Centre-back pairing Ramy Bensebaini and Nico Schlotterbeck have combined for 10 goals this season, more than any other centre-back duo in the league. Schlotterbeck scored the crucial winner against Frankfurt last week, taking his personal tally to five—a new career best. One of those goals came in the reverse fixture against Bremen back in January, when he headed Dortmund into a 1-0 lead in a match that ended 3-0.
That January victory was built on two things: a tactical masterclass from Terzić and a standout performance from goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, who made two vital saves in the opening 18 minutes to deny Bremen's only real chances of the match. It was a reminder that even when Dortmund aren't at their free-flowing best, they find a way to get the job done—especially against Werder.