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Grüll hat-trick sees Werder beat Meppen
MATCH REPORT FROM THE FRIENDLY AGAINST SV MEPPEN
23/08/26 | 5 Min
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Werder used Sunday afternoon for a behind-closed-doors friendly, giving game time to players who had featured little or not at all in Saturday’s cup win. The Green-Whites beat third-tier side SV Meppen 3-1, with Marco Grüll scoring all three goals.
FIRST-HALF HIGHLIGHTSItten goal ruled out before Meppen strike at the other end
Just one day after their 3-0 DFB-Pokal win over Lüneburger Sport-Klub Hansa, Werder were back in action. Head coach Daniel Thioune used the friendly against third-tier Meppen to give minutes to those who had played no more than a half against LSK. The visitors made a positive start and pressed Werder high up the pitch. Stalmach lost possession to Borsum, but Kolke kept out Engelmann’s subsequent effort on the turn (3’).
Mißner then picked out the SVM forward once again, but he could only find the side-netting (11’). Werder threatened for the first time shortly afterwards when Erevbenagie and Chuki combined, although the Spaniard’s effort flew just wide (14’). Itten then appeared to have put the Green-Whites ahead as he stretched to turn home Erevbenagie’s cross (25’), but the officials ruled that the Switzerland international had been offside.
Instead, Meppen broke the deadlock at the other end almost immediately. Engelmann slipped Meier through and he beat Kolke from a tight angle (26’). Thioune’s side looked for a response, with youngster Erevbenagie repeatedly driving them forward. The winger was denied by goalkeeper Pünt after a solo run (35’), before the Meppen keeper also kept out his powerful long-range strike following a short corner (45’).
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SECOND-HALF HIGHLIGHTSGrüll turns the game around as Musah misses from the spot
Meppen had the first chance after the restart following a loose pass out from the back, but Heitmann blocked Wittrock’s shot (49’). Werder made several changes at half time and one of the substitutes, Kownacki, curled an effort around a yard wide of the top corner (56’). Grüll then stepped up shortly afterwards and bent a free kick from more than 20 yards around the wall and into the back of the net (58’).
Six minutes later, Werder had turned the game around. Ehlers brought Hamouda down just inside the box, and Grüll converted the resulting penalty (64’). After Borsum then fouled Musah, the striker took the second spot kick himself, only for Pünt to save this one (66’). Musah went close again after Kownacki played him through, sending his shot just wide of the far post (73’).
Werder were firmly on top by this stage and had Meppen pinned back deep inside their own half. Grüll rounded off his afternoon with a deflected strike to complete his hat-trick (75’). With this friendly win under their belts, the Green-Whites now head into their final week of training before the Bundesliga gets underway. Werder travel to SC Freiburg on Sunday, 30th August 2026 (15:30 CEST).
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Match statistics
SV Werder: Kolke (46’ Smarkalev) - Grüll, Stark (31’ Heitmann), Malatini, Hamouda - Stalmach (46’ Alvero) - Quetant (75’ Höcker), Čović, Chuki (46’ Soylu), Erevbenagie (46’ Kownacki) - Itten (46’ Musah)
SV Meppen: Pünt - Mißner, Borsum, Schmitt, Engelmann, Meier, Ehlers, Touglo, Wessels, Wittrock, Goldenstein
Goals: 0-1 Meier (26’), 1-1 Grüll (56’), 2-1 Grüll (64’, pen.), 3-1 Grüll (74’)
Missed penalty: Musah (66’)
Yellow cards: Stalmach / -
Referee: Filip Gagelmann
Attendance: -
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