SV Werder Bremen’s eleven match unbeaten run was brought to an end after they lost 4-3 away to 1. FC Köln. Werder found themselves 2-0 down after goals from Anthony Modeste and Leonardo Bittencourt but were back on level terms before the break after two goals in the space of four minutes from Fin Bartels and Theodor Gebre Selassie. Yet the home side were not done for the first 45 yet and struck back just before half-time with a Simon Zoller chip to give the hosts a 3-2 lead.
Line-up and formation: Werder coach Alexander Nouri made one change to his eleven that beat Hertha BSC at home on the previous matchday. Thomas Delaney was back in the starting XI in place of Maximilian Eggestein. The rest of the squad remained unchanged. SVW started with three centre-backs (Lamine Sané, Niklas Moisander, Milos Veljkovic), with Robert Bauer and Theodor Gebre Selassie out wide. Delaney, Florian Grillitsch and Zlatko Junuzovic occupied the middle of the park whilst Max Kruse and Fin Bartels started up top.
13th minute: Goal for Köln. It had been coming. There is chaos in the middle after a corner but Leonardo Bittencourt pokes through to Anthony Modeste, who slides in to finish into an empty night from five metres out. Felix Wiedwald had already made two saves from the corner before the ball was finally directed in from Köln’s top scorer.
28th minute: Bittencourt doubles the home side’s tally. Werder had actually just mounted a positive attack but they were made to pay after losing the ball as Lukas Klünter found Bittencourt with his cross, who headed in nicely into the corner.
30th minute: Almost the equaliser! A superb pass from Fin Bartels is just too much for Zlatko Junuzovic to get a solid foot on and despite being in a one-on-one position with goalkeeper Timo Horn, he cannot control and it goes out for a goal-kick.
34th minute: Werder pull one back! Thomas Delaney wins a header in midfield and Junuzovic plays it straight to Bartels, who skips away from Frederik Sörensen with his blistering pace and dinks the ball over a helpless Horn into the back of the net. Back in it! The goal was certainly deserved.
40th minute! GOOOOAL! Theo Gebre Selassie with the equaliser! Bauer takes the throw-in and Junuzovic whips in a fierce cross under pressure only for the Czech to connect perfectly and smash home with his head to level the scoring. The turnaround is complete!
44th minute: Goal for Köln. Simon Zoller finds himself free in front of Wiedwald and coolly chips over the Werder keeper to restore the hosts’s lead.
45th minute: Half-time: What a crazy first 45 minutes of football that was. A truly end-to end encounter as both sides look up for it and dangerous in front of goal. Nothing is decided yet.
47th minute: Köln restore two-goal cushion. Bittencourt cleverly guides the ball to Modeste after a Sörensen corner and the Frenchman strikes hard and low to beat the Werder keeper at his near post. 4-2.
62nd minute: Serge Gnabry with an immediate impact! SVW finally hit Köln with a lethal counterattack as Fin Bartels’ shot finds its way towards a sliding Gnabry who hits home and puts Werder back in it once again. Only one goal needed!
76th minute: The home side just cannot contain Gnabry. Having seen an effort roll just wide of the post minutes earlier, the former Arsenal man has the goal at his feet but cannot connect. Köln continue to retreat in defence as Werder begin to pile on the pressure.
86th minute: That was close! Köln have the chance to wrap the game up as a counterattack leaves Lamine Sané two against one. But Wiedwald comes flying out to save brilliantly and prevent Anthony Modeste from getting his hat-trick.
90+3. Full-time. Werder’s efforts are not enough as their unbeaten run is broken. Werder lose 4-3.
Analysis: SVW had some problems finding their rhythm in the first half. Both Köln goals were avoidable and what was even more apparent was that the Green-Whites just needed to kick into gear to get themselves back in the game. The belief that the comeback could be completed was still as strong and acute as ever after going 4-2 down even as there were just seconds remaining. However despite several opportunities, the fourth goal continued to elude Nouri’s men. Werder lose even though their performance going forward was very strong in a match where the pendulum could have gone either way.
