What a match! Werder beat Wolfsburg 2-1 to get their first win of this season. A Robert Bauer own goal put the visitors in the lead but Lennart Thy and Theodor Gebre Selassie scored for Werder in the 86th and 92nd minute to bring the Weser-Stadion to life.
Lineup and formation: Alexander Nouri only made one change to the starting eleven that faced FSV Mainz 05 in the previous home game. Lamine Sané had to pull out of the squad at the last-minute because of knee problems. Milos Veljkovic replaced him in defence. Hajrovic, Gnabry, Manneh and Co. were looking to impress in the 4-1-4-1 formation against Wolfsburg.
4th minute: First shot at goal for the visitors. Vierinha hits one from 40 yards out, but the ball goes clearly wide.
7th minute: Fritz makes his way down the right and crosses into the box from the half-way line. First Manneh misses, then Gnabry tries from the far post. The ball goes for a corner and then Veljkovic is just a hair away with his effort.
12th minute: It’s Vierinha again for Dieter Hecking’s side. He shoots from a tight angle, but he can’t force Drobny into a save.
25th minute: There haven’t been many clear chances on goal up until now. Maybe now? Manneh is brought down 25 yards away from goal. Junuzovic curls the free-kick towards goal, but Casteels saves well.
29th minute: Werder’s best period. Gnabry makes a great run, beating two opposition players, playing the ball to Manneh in the middle, but his shot goes well over.
34th minute: Junuzovic plays a one-two with Gnabry who just misses from 25 yards.
39th minute: Manneh fights to win possession and passes to Gebre Selassie who also comes close. Werder were clearly the better side as Wolfsburg kept backtracking.
44th minute: Gnabry makes a run down the left and crosses into the middle but Manneh had his back to goal and didn’t manage to turn and get a shot away.
46th minute: Grillitsch goes down in the penalty area, but Aytekin waves away the penalty appeal.
55th minute: Gnabry is at the heart for Werder again. He breaks down the left and looks to get a shot away, which goes over the bar via a deflection.
58th minute: Gebre Selassie plays in a fierce cross from the right, which Gnabry control with his chest and volleys at goal from a tight angle. This shot also goes over.
66th minute: Hajrovic tries his luck from distance. Bremen are throwing everything at it, but the ball just won’t go in.
67th minute: Goal for Wolfsburg. Robert Bauer is the unfortunate scorer of an own goal…
75th minute: What can Werder do from here? Nouri gives Niklas Schmidt his Bundesliga debut.
78th minute: Bruno Henrique tests Drobny, but he makes the save. The visitors are still in front against the run of play.
86th minute: GOOOOAAAL for Werder Bremen! A more than deserved equaliser! Lennart Thy doesn’t hesistate and lashes the ball into the corner from the left-hand side of the area.
90th minute: Gnabry attacks with pace and lays it off for Junuzovic. He crosses low, but Casteels gets his fingertips to it. So frustrating…
92nd minute: GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAL FOR WERDER! THEO GEBRE SELASSIE! Somehow the defender gets the ball in the net! Incredible! 2-1 Werder! Pure ecstasy!
93rd minute: Final whistle!
Summary: what a pulsating finale! It may be a bit much to speak of another Miracle on the Weser, but the game was as good as done. The Wolves held a lead they barely deserved through Robert Bauer’s own goal. But Bremen never gave up the ghost and got their reward thanks to two late goals. Thy and Gebre Selassie were the scorers. They may have been knocked out of the DFB Cup, and they may have started the new season with four defeats, but the team lives! They showed that in impressive fashion against Wolfsburg.
