Marco Grüll on Werder Bremen’s impressive start, Niclas Füllkrug and the Nordderby
Werder Bremen have made an impressive start to the 2026/27 Bundesliga season, collecting 15 points from their opening eight matches to climb to fifth in the table. The Bundesliga caught up with Austrian winger Marco Grüll to discuss the secrets behind his side’s success, his return to form, his blossoming partnership with Niclas Füllkrug and the prospect of facing Hamburg in the Nordderby.
A history of the Nordderby
Bundesliga: Bremen are fifth after eight matchdays, having lost just once. What have been the main reasons behind the team’s impressive start?
Marco Grüll: “The main reason is definitely that we have a great team. You can see week after week how everyone gives their all, how intensively we play, how we fight and how we play football. I don’t want to single out any player, but of course we can’t ignore that we brought in an incredible striker in Fülle [Niclas Füllkrug] during the summer, who is very important to us.
“All the new players have integrated really well too, whether that’s Arthur, Youri Regeer, Ludovit Reis, Chuki, Eren Dinkçi or the others. They’ve all brought a lot of quality to the team. All nine new players have already delivered very good performances and definitely raised our level.”
Watch: Bremen 3-2 Augsburg - highlights
Bundesliga: How important has the team’s togetherness been to that success?
Grüll: “I think you can see in the games that we’re all there for each other. If someone makes a mistake, nobody puts their head down. Instead, everyone else wants to make up for it. I don’t think there’s been a situation on the pitch where negativity has taken over. Of course, that can happen in football, but we’re the kind of team that gets out of difficult situations together.
“When you’re 2-0 down and manage to turn things around, or at least avoid defeat, that shows mentality. It demonstrates that we have both quality and a lot of character.”
Bundesliga: Did you expect Werder to start the season so strongly, or have the results surprised you?
Grüll: “After the first matchday, there was a bit of disappointment. We’d come from a 4-1 defeat against Freiburg and then faced RB Leipzig at home.
“From that point onwards, I think everyone started working even harder for each other because we realised it wouldn’t work otherwise. Our pressing and intensity, with everyone working for each other, have helped us play better football. The quality we have on the ball has definitely improved as well.
“I hoped things would go this well. Of course, you want to win every game, but actually getting those wins or coming back from 2-0 down in Dortmund to earn a point isn’t something you can always expect. The momentum is on our side at the moment, but we have to keep going and always give 100 per cent. If we do that, it can be a great season.”
Bundesliga: You have six assists this season, putting you joint-top of the Bundesliga assist charts alongside Antonio Nusa. What’s behind your outstanding start?
Grüll: “First of all, we’re playing like a winning team, which obviously makes it easier to score goals and provide assists. It also helps that I’m playing in what is probably my best position, on the left wing.
“I’ve found my rhythm again because I’ve played almost every game on the left. That’s helped me get back into making my runs and creating chances. Of course, having a striker like Fülle, who often finishes those opportunities, helps a lot too.”
Bundesliga: Your performances have improved significantly compared to last season. How do you explain that transformation?
Grüll: “Of course, it’s much better than last year. I know myself that last season wasn’t my best. It was a poorer season for me.
“But I didn’t give up. I kept working hard, and now I’m playing on the wing and finding myself in situations where I feel comfortable. It’s great that things are going so well, but this is only a snapshot. I have to keep going, deliver performances week after week and not let up even one percent.”
Bundesliga: Werder currently have the league’s leading assist provider in you and the leading goalscorer in Füllkrug. How satisfying is that?
Grüll: “Of course, you can be proud of that. I think it’s important to be proud when you deliver good performances. But everything that’s happened in the past counts for less now. The next matchday comes around and you have to perform again. You can’t rest on your laurels.
“For a striker, it’s always great to score week after week because that gives you even more confidence. And for me personally, it’s nice to keep adding assists.”
Watch: Niclas Füllkrug the real deal back at Werder Bremen
Bundesliga: Füllkrug recently said that you inspire each other. What did he mean by that?
Grüll: “I think we inspire each other through our intensity and the way we play without the ball. I’m a player who relies a lot on intensity and passion. I think that’s something people know about me.
“Especially towards the end of games, we push each other even more. When he sees me sprinting like crazy, I think that inspires him. And he inspires me too. When I see a striker who scores week after week but still works hard defensively and makes runs that not everyone would make, it makes things easier for every player.
“You notice it yourself. If he’s running, we all have to follow. And if I run, everyone else has to follow too. So yes, we definitely push each other.”
Bundesliga: Werder previously had a successful strike partnership between Füllkrug and Marvin Ducksch. Could you and Füllkrug develop a similar understanding?
Grüll: “I think comparing us to them might be a bit of a stretch. Those two performed really well together over a longer period. At the moment, we’re both doing very well, but the whole team deserves recognition.
“On paper, you have the leading assist provider and the leading goalscorer, but what the other players do in midfield is just as important.
“Some might not have many assists, but they control the game and make a huge contribution to how we play. We’re all happy with how things are going at the moment.”
Bundesliga: What impresses you most about Füllkrug, both on and off the pitch?
Grüll: “I’d heard before that he was a really good striker, especially considering the clubs he’s played for. He obviously has a lot of quality.
“But you often see things in training where you just think: ‘Wow, that’s top, top, top.’ Even the goal he scored recently, the way he battled past two defenders, says everything about him.
“He’s extremely fit and knows exactly what to do as a striker. He has incredible qualities, and you can see that on the pitch. But as a person, he’s also someone who drives the team forward, gives everything for the club and is always there for his teammates. That’s extraordinary.”
Bundesliga: Füllkrug is also chasing Rudi Völler’s record of scoring in seven consecutive Bundesliga matches. Does he deserve to achieve that milestone?
Grüll: “Yes, absolutely. I think he said in an interview that he wasn’t thinking about the record and just wanted to score goals.
“That’s what defines him. He doesn’t need to prove that he’s better than anyone else. He just wants to be successful week after week.
Bundesliga: How much are you enjoying being part of this Werder team right now?
Grüll: “A lot. I think every player comes to training with a smile. Everyone is happier and enjoying themselves more.
“Last year, there were situations where things were difficult, especially in terms of motivation. When you’re not winning regularly and confidence is really low, it becomes very difficult."
Watch: Werder Bremen 2-0 Hoffenheim - highlights
Bundesliga: What makes Bremen such a special club to play for?
Grüll: “The atmosphere we create in the stadium when we’re performing well is truly amazing. Playing there with the noise and the fans behind us is incredible. It’s so loud.
“Even at away games, the number of Werder supporters is amazing. It’s something very special, and I think it gives every player an extra boost.”
Bundesliga: Werder have 15 points from eight matches and are unbeaten in seven. What do you think the team can achieve this season?
Grüll: “I don’t want to say yet how far we can go because I know how quickly momentum can change in football. But if we keep giving 100 per cent and working together as we are now, we can certainly win more games. We can’t let up even a little bit, though, otherwise we won’t keep winning."
Bundesliga: After the trip to VfB Stuttgart and the international break, Werder face Hamburg in the Nordderby. You’ve experienced derbies in Vienna and against Hamburg last season. What makes these matches so special?
Grüll: “Derbies are always special. I think they’re the games with the biggest atmosphere of the year, or at least among the most important, especially for the fans but also for us players.
“There’s nothing better for a footballer than playing in a packed stadium with both sets of supporters backing their clubs at 150 percent, maybe even more. I don’t think there are any better games than derbies. We’re all happy that these games exist.”
Watch: Bremen 3-1 Hamburg - highlights
Bundesliga: Do derby matches bring even more out of you as a player?
Grüll: “You always have to try to get the best out of yourself, but of course everything is even more intense in a derby. There are more emotions on both sides.
“Whether you’re a Bremen or Hamburg player, it’s normal to experience those emotions in these games. Things can swing back and forth, but ultimately the better team should win. Everyone wants to win just as much as in any other game, but the emotions are even stronger.”
Bundesliga: Can you feel that rivalry on the pitch through the challenges and the exchanges between players?
Grüll: “That’s all part of it. I think it’s completely normal. Of course, there’s more trash talk, but that’s football. It’s part of the game.
