Green and white gala in Bremen’s Weser Stadium: In the first Bundesliga home win in 583 days, SV Werder, who played like unleashed, clearly put their Borussia Mönchengladbach guests, who were overwhelmed for long stretches, in their place. The promoted team outclassed the previously unbeaten away team from the Rhineland 5:1 (4:0) and climbed from eleventh to eighth place in the table.
After less than a quarter of an hour, the game, which was one-sided from the first minute, was actually already decided. Niclas Füllkrug (5th) opened the scoring, the scorer scored again in the 13th minute, it was his six and seven goals of the season.
In between, his strike partner Marvin Ducksch ended a goal drought of 613 minutes and scored 2-0. In a phase in which the guests could at least occasionally endanger the goal of the North Germans, the 4-0 fell – an own goal by Gladbach full-back Ramy Bensebaini (37th).
After the change of sides, Marcus Thuram (63rd) at least scored the consolation goal. But only five minutes later Mitchell Weiser restored the old distance.
Werder Bremen sets records
And so two Bremen records were already set at half-time. A 3-0 lead after 13 minutes was a Bundesliga club record, and the 4-0 after 45 minutes was also a record, and Bremen had never led more at half-time. 42,100 spectators in the sold-out Arena am Osterdeich said goodbye to the hosts with thunderous applause.
Gladbach coach Daniel Farke, on the other hand, trudged into the dressing room with a grim face. His protégés let themselves be bought from the kick-off and were far too often only second winners in the one-on-one duels. Significant: Füllkrug won 81.3 percent of his tackles as a striker in the first half.
Regardless of the big gap, Farke sent his starting XI out onto the pitch again at the start. Borussia was now clearly trying harder, the game was more balanced. Bremen didn’t bother quite as early, but still gave the opponent hardly any chance to develop and shifted more and more to the counterattack.
The first own goal allowed Borussia to act a little more courageously in the closing stages. But with skill and a bit of luck, the hosts could not be snatched away from victory.