? Are you referring to the playoff with the second division? If so, I know, but I think they have the upper hand in it
So they are now safe from direct relegation, and have to defeat either Hamburg or Heidenheim in the promtion/relegation play-off. If Osako managed to score 2 goals in the 2 play-off matches next week, it will become his first time to have a double-digit league scoring record in German Bundesliga. Osako also finished the regular season as his team's top scorer with 8 goals, he is the team's joint top-scorer alongside Milot Rashica. It is the first time he finished the season as his team's top scorer in 1.Bundesliga.
#JapaneseAbroad: Yuya Osako has broken his record of goals per minutes in one @Bundesliga_EN season. He averaged a goal in every 232 minutes in 2019/2020. #EfficiencyPrevious records:2018/2019: 1/4502017/2018: 1/4762016/2017: 1/3392015/2016: 1/13422014/2015: 1/506 pic.twitter.com/Z9wMBWkXXk— Samurai Warrior (@SamuraiWarrio17) June 27, 2020
If it's going to be Werder v HSV, it's going to be massive. Although I believe Hedenheim have at least deserved to be the contender in the Relegationsspiel.
So far there has been 11 Buli 1 relegation playoffs, of those the Buli 2 club prevailed only two times (~18%). Unless Werder loses all its self confidence again they should be safe.
So it will be Heidenheim. Hamburg is a real chocker. They could secure third place by winning their last home match, as Heidenheim was playing away at Arminia Bielefeld (the league champions). Yet, Hamburg lost 1-5 at home against Sandhausen, with Heidenheim losing against Arminia Bielefeld. As for the play-off, Werder will have an extra 1-day of rest advantage, and as they played their last match at home, they will not have to endure travelling for the first leg, unlike Heidenheim who have to travel from Bielefeld to Bremen for the first leg. This is all while not taking the quality and competitiveness of the both squads into account. One could say here that Werder Bremen are in a prime position to win the first league by more than 2 goals margin, and consequently be in the prime position to win the whole playoff and retain their 1.Bundesliga status. However, we are speaking about football, so anything could happen, but it seems highly unlikely that Heidenheim will win the playoff.
Osako went out of the pitch limping tonight in the 87th minute, as his kneecap was hit by one of Hoffenheim's players when he was about to surge forward in a counter-attack. Osako himself was brought in as a sub for Fuellkrung in the 37th minute, after Fuellkrung was injured and went out limping too. Osako played as a centre-forward in a 3-men attacking line, not as an attacking midfielder as the coach suggested he will use him this season, and Osako had a very good match from the parts I watched. Let's hope his injury will not keep him out for a long period.
... and Werder Bremen continue their strong start of the season with 2 wins and 2 draws and just 1 lose in their openning match of the season (they are unbeaten in their last 4 matches, an uncommon thing compaed to last season).
Kohfeldt warned that Osako's knee injury might be serious, but it turned out only to be a bruise. He may be back in training this week.
Heard about some rumors including the above and e.g Mitoma to Sporting CP and Nakajima to Al-Ain etc. Not sure on the validity of those rumors though as not a lot of sources reporting on it.
Osako is excluded from the matchday squad today. In interviews published two days ago with both Werder's head of scouting and professional football Clemens Fritz, and head coach Florian Kohfeldt they commented on Osako's current run of off-form. Clemens Fritz said about Yuya Osako that the Japanese had a mental problem. “Yuya is putting too much pressure on himself. He has to find his way back to being relaxed ”, the head of professional football at SV Werder explained. Coach Florian Kohfeldt has now asked Osako for a one-on-one interview. “Yuya is currently not in a top phase. I talked to him and we're working together to get him out of this phase, ”said the coach. https://www.weser-kurier.de/werder/...spraech-mit-osako-_arid,1952835_type,amp.html
Shinji Kagawa is linked to both Werder Bremen and Udinese according to local sources in both countries. Udinese seem more probable destination, as Werder Bremen are considering him as one of many options including Real Madrid's Martin Ødegaard. https://t.co/69r3FdpzuK
Osako scored Werder Bremen's winner and only goal today in the German Cup quarterfinals. Werder Bremen will host RB Leipzig in the semifinals. This is Osako's first goal of the season, as he is notably falling out of favour this season and only started in 6 league matches.