Milošević breaks the deadlock to help Werder beat Heidenheim

Three massive points! SV Werder Bremen ended their long wait for a victory by beating 1. FC Heidenheim 2-0 at home in front of 40,000 fans on Saturday afternoon. January signing Jovan Milošević opened the scoring, before a late own goal sealed the win, a massive one in the context of the relegation battle.

FIRST-HALF HIGHLIGHTSDEMAN GOAL RULED OUT, SCHMID HITS THE POST

Head coach Daniel Thioune made three changes to the side that lost 2-1 at FC St. Pauli last time out. Yukinari Sugawara, Olivier Deman and Jovan Milošević came into the starting XI, replacing Justin Njinmah, Isaac Schmidt and Samuel Mbangula. Thioune also switched to a back-four.

The Green-Whites started on the front foot and created a number of good openings. Cameron Puertas pushed the ball too far ahead of himself to round Frank Feller (12’), while a Jens Stage header went straight into the Heidenheim goalkeeper’s arms (19’). The Weserstadion then thought Werder had taken the lead when a Deman solo run ended with him rolling the ball into an empty net (26’). However, with Milošević in an offside position and impeding Feller, referee Florian Badstübner ruled the goal out after consulting VAR (29’).

The Serb then had one of the two biggest chances of the first half himself. After a perfect Romano Schmid ball across the six-yard box, the Stuttgart loanee couldn’t force it over the line as he went to ground (36’). At the other end, Heidenheim almost made them pay: Jan Schöppner’s delivery was bundled into the side netting by Arijon Ibrahimovic with his upper body (37’).

Only four minutes later, Schöppner picked out his team-mate again, but this time Ibrahimovic dragged the bouncing ball wide (41’). The visitors’ best opening fell to Omar Traoré, who glanced a Behrens cross wide of the far post (44’). The other big chance, though, went Werder’s way again: Schmid drove at Feller, rounded the keeper, but struck the post with his left-footed effort into the empty net. His follow-up from a tighter angle, with bodies back on the line, then ended up in the side netting (45+1’).

SECOND-HALF HIGHLIGHTS MILOSEVIC HEADS HOME, HEIDENHEIM TURN UP THE PRESSURE

Heidenheim coach Frank Schmidt responded at the break with a double change, which included bringing on his top goalscorer Stefan Schimmer. The striker was immediately picked out by Conteh, but the angle was too tight to get the ball on target (48’). Werder then took control again and were finally rewarded with the opener. A Romano Schmid cross found Milošević at the far post, and he nodded the ball into the net (57’).

Thioune’s side then went close to a second when Sugawara rattled the post with what was really a shot disguised as a cross (63’). Werder subsequently dropped deeper and allowed Heidenheim more of the ball, looking to land the decisive punch themselves. While SVW were solid at the back, Stage glanced a header onto the roof of the net (77’) and substitute Keke Topp couldn’t get a shot off in a crowded box (81’).

With a left-footed effort from substitute Justin Njinmah also flying wide (87’), the home fans would have been feeling nervous going into the final few minutes. In stoppage time, Njinmah (90+1’) and Topp (90+2’) then wasted opportunities to kill the game off. In the end, Werder did get a second, as a Njinmah shot was headed into his own net by Behrens to seal the result (90+7’). Next up, SVW are away to 1. FC Union Berlin on Sunday, 8th March (17:30 CET), looking to pick up more points in the fight for survival.

Statistics

SV Werder: Backhaus - Sugawara, Stark, Friedl, Deman - Lynen - Grüll (80' Njinmah), Puertas, Stage (89' Malatini), Schmid (89' Bittencourt) - Milošević (69' Topp)

1. FC Heidenheim: Feller - Traoré (46' Stergiou), Mainka, Gimber (74' Honsak), Behrens - Schöppner (65' Beck), Dorsch, Niehues (46' Schimmer) - Ibrahimovic, Dinkci (65' Pieringer) - C. Conteh

Goals: 1-0 Milošević (57'), 2-0 Behrens (90'+7, OG)

Yellow cards: Deman / -

Referee: Florian Badstübner

Attendance: 40,000