Werder Bremen vs. Borussia Dortmund: Issues and Decisions That Will Shape Game

Borussia Dortmund will conclude a troubling end to 2014 on Friday night with a trip to Werder Bremen in the final Bundesliga fixture for the former German champions before the winter break. 

Bremen, a club who have also struggled with their own fall from grace over the past 10 years, are one of the few teams who still sit below Dortmund in the league table.

In fact, Viktor Skrypnyk's side are currently sitting bottom of the Bundesliga. 

For Jurgen Klopp, an opportunity to take advantage of a side more troubled than his own now stands before him. Dortmund travel to the Weserstadion on Friday with high hopes of picking up three points, pulling themselves out of the relegation zone and finally turning their season around. 

Here are the key factors to consider before the match.

Bremen's Increasing Home Form

Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

Although Bremen have long looked troubled with life in the Bundesliga this season, a spark of hope has sprung up from their recent performances at home in the past few weeks.

Skrypnyk's side have actually only lost two games at the Weserstadion this season. What's more, they have managed to remain undefeated in their last three home ties and actually won two of them against Stuttgart and Paderborn. 

If this troubled side can take any solace from this coming fixture with Dortmund, it will be that they are playing at home in front of their own fans. 

Sebastian Kehl Must Be Dropped

Frank Augstein/Associated Press

Dortmund fans will go into this final league match of 2014 with a certain degree of hope, but they'll also be accompanied by sheer frustration at the manner in which they allowed Wolfsburg to leave on Wednesday night with a point in hand. 

Much of the criticism has been levied at goalkeeper Mitch Langerak, but in truth the real problem in Klopp's side that night was ageing central midfielder Sebastian Kehl. 

The former captain can never be questioned over his commitment to the club, yet the manner in which he gave away the free-kick for the first Wolfsburg goal and then lost Naldo for the second suggests he may not be up to the task of such games anymore. 

Klopp must drop his former right-hand man or risk more mistakes and points lost. 

Dortmund Can't Finish the Season in the Relegation Zone

Frank Augstein/Associated Press

With Stuttgart playing host to high-flying Paderborn and Schalke welcoming Hamburg to Gelsenkirchen this weekend, Dortmund could theoretically and quite realistically expect the two sides above them to pick up no points in this coming matchday. 

What that would mean is that Klopp's side could pull out of the relegation zone and leapfrog both sides near the bottom of the table with three points against Bremen on Friday night. If that's not enough incentive for this troubled side, then we're not quite sure what is.

Klopp Doesn't Enjoy Away Matches These Days

Frank Augstein/Associated Press

Although Dortmund haven't won too many games at all in the Bundesliga this season, the fact that they've only won one on the road in this current campaign is truly incredible. 

Losing to Mainz, Schalke, Koln, Bayern Munich and most recently Hertha Berlin, Klopp's team have often looked truly helpless at grounds across the country of late and will undoubtedly arrive at the Weserstadion with some trepidation. 

If Dortmund want to pull themselves out of the relegation zone before the winter break, they'll have to do something they haven't managed since the second game of the season and pick up an away win.