The Green-Whites faced Köln in a hugely important penultimate game of the season but the game ended in a goalless draw. Werder had a goal chopped off in the first half where the referee considered there to be a foul in the area. In the second half, Wiedwald kept Werder in the game by saving Köln chance after chance. The draw means that staying up will come down to the final day for Werder.
Line-up and formation: The team was, unsurprisingly, made up largely of the same team that won 6-2 against Stuttgart. There was just one change – Öztunali came in for the injured Sambou Yatabaré. Viktor Skripnik went for his usual 4-1-4-1 formation, led by Claudio Pizarro. Clemens Fritz wore the captain’s armband, as usual.
7’ First real chance of the game as Bartels slips inside his own area, releasing Zoller who had a shot on goal. Felix Wiedwald was there to make the save.
12’ Bartels down the end takes on his man, beats him and fires goalwards but sees his effort trickle wide.
25’ GOAL-no. The ball was in the net but the referee has disallowed Santi Garcia’s goal and pulled back play for a supposed foul on Horn.
43’ Junuzovic hits the post! A long ball over the top from Vestergaard falls to the Austrian midfielder, who hits it on the volley before seeing it strike the base of the post. So close!
45’ Half-time. Werder feel a bit hard done by because of the disallowed goal, but the better chances have come the way of the Green-Whites.
58’ Junuzovic sends the ball in and Djilobodji rises to meet it but his header flies just past the post!
62’ Wiedwald makes another save as Bittencourt shoots from a wide angle.
75’ Viktor Skripnik brings on former Köln player Anthony Ujah to replace Levin Öztunali.
77’ Wiedwald is unbeatable! Huge chance for Modeste on the volley but once again Wiedwald stands strong and makes a superb save.
81’ Santiago Garcia gets concussion after being struck in the head by the ball. He is stretchered off and Sternberg comes on in his place.
90+1’ Pizarro heads inches wide of the post!
90+3’ He does it again! This time from a free kick, but Pizarro is so, so close to getting the winner! The full time whistle blows seconds after.
Summary: Werder earn a hard-fought point in Cologne. A win would’ve been the ideal result but it wasn’t to be today. Thanks to a shock Frankfurt win over Dortmund, Werder slip back into the relegation play-off spot ahead of the season’s last match against Frankfurt in the Weser-Stadion.
