SV Werder played out a 1-1 draw in their last home game of the year. Serge Gnabry’s long-range strike (40’) cancelled out Artjoms Rudnevs’ opener (28’), but after the break neither side could find the back of the net despite good chances. In the end, a draw was a fair reflection of the game.
Line-up: After last week’s impressive 1-0 away win against Herth BSC, there was no need for Alexander Nouri to change his starting XI, so the Green-Whites lined up in the same 4-2-3-1. The coach also named the same bench as the previous matchday.
5th minute: The game begins at a fast pace with the visitors taking the game to Werder and the Green-Whites playing on the counter. However, due to the high tempo, the final ball is often missing from both sides.
12th minute: Still no shots on goal. Werder are standing deep and haven’t allowed anything past them, but going forwards they also haven’t offered much. Much of the game is being played in the centre of the pitch.
24th minute: SVW have their first chance, as Max Kruse slides in Serge Gnabry on the left. However, the winger can only win a corner out of it. Santiago García gets a head to the following corner but can’t direct it on goal.
28th minute: Köln take the lead. Jonas Hector slips in Anthony Modeste alone in the box, but the visitors’ top scorer is denied by Drobny. Despite the Werder goalkeeper’s best efforts, the ball falls to Artjoms Rudnevs who can't miss the open goal from five yards.
33rd minute: A good chance for Gnabry. García plays the ball into Gnabry from the left, but Werder’s no. 29 can’t control the ball and Köln clear. If he had gotten the ball under his spell, he would have had a clear shot on goal from 12 yards out.
40th minute: GOOAAALL FOR WERDER! Serge Gnabry makes it 1-1! Köln clear an SVW corner, but only as far as Gnabry who shoots from distance. His strike bounces just before the Thomas Kessler which makes it hard for the goalkeeper to handle and, despite getting something on it, the ball goes into the back of the net.
45th minute: What a chance! Gnabry is released on the left and is one-on-one with Kessler. The ‘keeper saves his effort from a tight angle and Claudio Pizarro pounces on the rebound, Kessler saves for a second time and the ball is deflected onto the post and out. The referee blows for half time, Werder definitely started the half more slowly but finished it the better side. Hopefully the lads continue like this in the second period!
46th minute: Alexander Nouri makes his first change at half time, bringing on Zlatko Junuzovic for the injured Clemens Fritz. The Austrian takes the captains armband.
53rd minute: Max Kruse tries his luck for the first time in the game but he drags his shot wide. Overall, the second half has started evenly.
58th minute: Drobny is called into action after some time as a spectator, he saves well from a Dominique Heintz effort. His defence then clear the subsequent corner.
61st minute: Werder are pushing. A free kick from the left causes panic in the Köln box and somehow the ball doesn’t go in. Werder are currently the dominant team, now it’s about making the most of this pressure.
65th minute: Suddenly the visitors have two huge chances. First Modeste is through on goal and fires over from a less-than-ideal angle and a minute later, Yuya Osako shoots just wide from the edge of the box.
75th minute: Both teams are threatening, making for a tense final 15 minutes like so many Werder matches this year. Aron Johannsson is on in place of Pizarro.
82nd minute: You can see the players are slowing down physically as SVW haven’t been able to sustain this pressure. Perhaps there’ll be one last chance to take all the points.
89th minute: A heart-in-mouth moment for Werder, as Robert Bauer and Marco Höger challenge for the ball in the Green-White box. The Köln player goes to ground but referee Wolfgang Stark waves away the visitors’ claims.
93rd minute: Full time. That’s the last action at the Weser-Stadion in 2016 - nothing can separate SVW and 1. FC Köln, meaning Werder build on their unbeaten streak.
Summary: In the first half Werder took some time to get going and the visitors were the better side before the Green-Whites got themselves back into the game after holding off Köln’s pressure. Werder started the second half more brightly but just couldn’t find the second goal. Towards the end of the game you could see both of the teams were running out of energy, but neither team could take advantage of the other’s mistakes. In the end, a draw is a fair result and SVW were able to build on their unbeaten run to four games. Next Wednesday, the Green-Whites have the chance to make it five against 1899 Hoffenheim, as away games against TSG have historically been good to Werder.
