Jens Stage

Key strength: Work rate

Box-to-box midfielder

In the depths of the Bundesliga relegation battle, Werder Bremen find themselves marooned in 16th place with a string of miserable results behind them. Yet through this chaos, Jens Stage has emerged as their lifeline—a €14M box-to-box powerhouse refusing to let his club sink without a fight. The 29-year-old Dane has been an ever-present force this campaign, racking up 1,643 minutes across 19 appearances while delivering 6 goals and 1 assist. For a midfielder operating in a struggling side, those goal numbers are remarkable—Stage has outscored many strikers in the league through sheer determination and late runs into the box. His tireless partnership with Romano Schmid in central midfield offers Bremen their best hope of survival. While teammates struggle for consistency, Stage's relentless engine—his defining trait—keeps driving the team forward. As the relegation dogfight intensifies, Bremen's survival may well depend on whether their Danish dynamo can maintain this heroic individual form long enough to drag the entire club to safety.