Dominant Werder held to Venlo draw

Monday’s friendly with VVV Venlo ends 1-1

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Davy Klaassen continued his impressive start in Green-White (photo: norphoto).
First Team
Monday, 30.07.2018 / 20:25

Despite being the better side, Werder Bremen’s friendly match with VVV Venlo on Monday evening finished in a 1-1 draw. The Green-Whites flew out of the blocks in front of 2,815 spectators in Lohne in Lower Saxony, with Max Kruse looking a real threat in particular. Davy Klaassen and Milot Rashica also had good chances, before Martin Harnik slotted home to open the scoring. Werder were good value for their lead at the break, though a Venlo set-piece pegged them back early in the second half. The introduction of new signing and club legend Claudio Pizarro was met with rapturous applause, but sadly Werder were unable to find a second goal to claim what would have been a deserved win.

Line-up and formation: Werder coach Florian Kohfeldt opted for a 4-1-4-1 formation against the Eredivisie side. Regular no.1 Jiri Pavlenka was between the sticks in front of a back four of Marco Friedl, Niklas Moisander, Milos Veljkovic and Theodor Gebre Selassie. Philipp Bargfrede sat in front of the defence, leaving fellow midfielders Maximilian Eggestein and Davy Klaassen to pull the strings. The three-pronged attack was made up of Milot Rashica on the left, Martin Harnik on the opposite flank and Max Kruse through the middle. Werder returnee Claudio Pizarro began on the bench, alongside fellow new signing Yuya Osako.

Werder in control and full of zest

It was a short but successful day at the office for Harnik, with the goalscorer coming off after 29 minutes (photo: nordphoto).

Match highlights

1st minute: Pavlenka is tested right from the off. A whipped corner is headed thunderously towards the top corner, but the big Czech keeper gets a strong hand to the ball to deny an early goal.

12th minute: Max Kruse rattles the crossbar! Eggestein wins the ball just outside the Venlo box and spots the better-positioned Kruse, whose curling effort leaves the goalkeeper stranded, only for the ball to bounce back off the woodwork.

20th minute: Kruse causing problems again. The Werder frontman unleashes a low shot towards the bottom corner of Lars Unnerstall’s goal, but he manages to turn it behind for a corner instead.

23rd minute: GOAL! 1-0 to Werder. Davy Klaassen hands the ball over to Martin Harnik, whose quick burst of pace sees him past two defenders into the box and a composed finish into the far corner opens the scoring.

39th minute: Venlo’s turn to hit the frame of the goal. Kum chases down a bobbling ball following a corner and hooks it towards goal. Pavlenka is scrambling to reach the top corner, but the ball lands on top of the crossbar.

41st minute: Klaassen almost makes it 2-0. Kruse picks out the Dutchman in the centre, but his quick turn and fire is inches wide of the right-hand post.

43rd minute: Osako is off the bench and drives through midfield before releasing Rashica. His pinpoint cross is met by the head of Maxi Eggestein, but the ball drifts agonisingly wide of the upright.

Another dominant half, but no clinical edge

Yuya Osako looked strong on his Werder debut (photo: nordphoto)

50th minute: GOAL. Venlo make it 1-1. Samuelsen climbs highest from a corner kick and his header goes in off the underside of the crossbar. 

56th minute: What a chance for Florian Kainz. Werder are back in their groove already after shaking off the equaliser. A ball from the right looks to pick out Kruse, but he lets it run through to the Austrian, who takes a touch inside before unleashing his shot, which sadly sails over the top. 

74th minute: Another big opportunity to retake the lead, this time for Johannes Eggestein. He beautifully takes Langkamp’s cross down and pulls the trigger, but Unnerstall is able to keep his effort out.

77th minute: Johannes Eggestein is sent through from a long ball and unleashes a powerful shot, but Unnerstall guesses right and just about manages to hold on to the ball. 

83rd minute: A quality counterattack from the Green-Whites via Pizarro, ending with Osako, though he too is kept at bay by the former Schalke keeper to deny Werder a more than deserved winner. 

Match facts

Werder Bremen: Pavlenka (46’ Plogmann) - Friedl (70’ Beste), Moisander, Veljkovic (46’ Langkamp), Gebre Selassie - Bargfrede -  Rashica (46’ Kainz), Klaassen (70’ J. Eggestein), M. Eggestein, Harnik (29’ Osako) - Kruse (70’ Pizarro)

VVV Venlo: Unnerstall - Rutten (46’ Linthorst), Kum, Promes, Dekker - Röseler - Samuelsen, Post (46’ van Bruggen), Susic, van Ooijen - Grot

Referee: Franz Bokop

Attendance: 2,815

Goals: 1-0 Harnik (23’), 1-1 Samuelsen (50’)

 

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