Football Bundesliga: First victory in the new year: Werder beats strong Mainz

When Leonardo Bittencourt brought the Bremen in the lead in the 15th minute, his team had already had a post goal and a shot penalty. After the break, this 1-0 faltered against ever stronger Mainz. In the hectic stoppage time, the Bremen Marco Friedl and Niklas still saw strong yellow-red.

Strong first half hour from Werder

Werder’s coach Ole Werner had drawn the right conclusions from the disappointing first four games of the new year and changed his team to four positions. The take in by Justin Njinmah and starting eleven debutant Issa Kaboré and an outstanding appearance by Romano Schmid ensured significantly more pace in the recent game. In the first half hour, the Bremen ran over the table in front of 40,500 spectators.

After 49 seconds, Schmid only hit the post with a header. The 25 -year -old Austrian also took out a penalty. In a back pass, the Mainz goalkeeper Robin Zentner promised the ball, so that Schmid could intervene and was taken from the legs. After a long review by the video referee, Zentner made his mistake well again and held Marvin Ducksch’s penalty (12th).

The fact that Werder took the lead shortly afterwards was symptomatic of one of the best Bremen halves of this season. Bittort reacted faster after a corner kick than the entire Mainz defense and pressed the ball across the line.

The 31-year-old German-Brazilian was something like the tragic hero of this evening. Because as successful as Bittencourt first represented the blocked Danes Jens Stage in the central midfield, so quickly his effort was over again: in the 36th minute he had to be injured.

At that time, Werder could have had a second goal by Njinmah (16th), Schmid’s next brave effort against goalkeeper Zentner (25th) and a failed Lupfer von Ducksch (30th). At that time, however, the Mainzers were already much better in the game.

Mainz awards several major chances

A shot from Nelson Weiper was the best chance of balancing before the break (28th). The second half started almost like the first. Only that this time the guests achieved a big chance after another.

Jae-Sung Lee (47.), Weiper (50th), Paul Nebel (51.) and Danny da Costa by post (62.) had it 1-1 on head and foot. In between, Schmid had once again been worth seeing through the Mainz penalty area (47th). It was hardly to be explained that this rapid game fell in the first hour.

The price for this high intensity was only: after the exchange of Bittencourt and 05 professional Nadiem Amiri (46th), Bremen captain Marco Friedl also had to be treated for a long time (58.). Referee Martin Petersen already requested a stretcher for the Austrian, but it ultimately continued.

Mainz continued to compensate for the equalization, but in the final phase, the Bremeners, which have been filed for a long time, came back to chances. A goal from Mitchell Weiser did not count due to offside (75th). Njinmah (76.) and Skelly Alvero (82nd) ​​also missed the 2-0. Werder survived the last minutes in double outnumbered.