Hoffenheim vs Werder Bremen preview - Vestergaard eyeing Hoffenheim upset

Jannik Vestergaard believes his new club Werder Bremen can beat his former employers Hoffenheim when they meet on Wednesday night.

The Denmark defender switched allegiances just over a week ago and celebrated a winning debut at the weekend as Bremen defeated Hertha Berlin 2-0 to move out of the bottom three in the Bundesliga.

That confidence-boosting result means they will travel to high-flying Hoffenheim on Wednesday aiming for a further three points and not, like perhaps they might have done earlier in the season, just to snatch a point.

"Of course we can beat Hoffenheim," Vestergaard said. "I'm looking forward to it."

At the same time, the 22-year-old emphasised that he still owes Hoffenheim a lot having given him his breakthrough in the Bundesliga, dismissing claims he was unhappy there.

"I felt really good in Hoffenheim and had a great time there, but it was my desire to take the next step," Vestergaard told the Kreiszeitung. "Hoffenheim didn't place anything in my path. I wasn't playing much there, and when I was it wasn't in my preferred position.

"If the coach wants it, then I can play just in front of the defence, but I prefer to be in the centre of the defence.

"I didn't leave Hoffenheim on bad terms, though. It was nothing dramatic.

"It was not about the money either. I just wanted to play regular football again. I felt straight away that they believed in me here and that gave me a really good feeling."

Vestergaard is not the only Bremen player paying his former club a visit with Koen Casteels also now on the books of the northern Germany side, although he is likely to remain on the bench as understudy to Bremen's first-choice goalkeeper Raphael Wolf.

Hoffenheim coach Markus Gisdol has plenty of options for his attack, but might make changes after a 3-1 defeat at Augsburg on Sunday.

Kevin Volland, Anthony Modeste and Adam Szalai are all contending one place in the Hoffenheim attack.