SV Werder Bremen has found its way back to success in the Bundesliga after two recent defeats. On Matchday 22 there was an unchallenged 3-0 (2-0) home win against VfL Bochum, who are still in the middle of a relegation battle.
Niclas Füllkrug, Niklas Schmidt and Marvin Ducksch scored the Bremen goals in a playfully mediocre game. Werder remain in the table in secure midfield in ninth place with 30 points. VfL Bochum remains in 16th place and still has to worry about staying in the class.
Slow start
The initial phase in Bremen’s Weser Stadium was not for football connoisseurs. Both teams seemed agitated, had problems building up the game and caused numerous turnovers. In view of the last two defeats in the Bundesliga for both clubs, both Bremen and the guests from Bochum were a bit nervous.
Werder coach Ole Werner made three changes compared to the 0-2 draw against Frankfurt. Pieper, Bittencourt and Groß replaced Stark, Schmid and Gruev. VfL coach Thomas Letsch changed his starting XI to five positions.
Füllkrug’s guidance out of nowhere
Although Bremen developed a little more control of the game from the middle of the first half, the lead through Niclas Füllkrug (29th) still came out of nowhere. The national striker fired with the right after a header from Anthony Jung and didn’t give Riemann a chance in the Bochum goal.
The tour calmed Bremen’s nerves noticeably. Werder played more structured, had more offensive actions. As a result, Niklas Schmidt increased the lead to a 2-0 lead at the break (43′). Bochum didn’t show themselves ready for the Bundesliga with both goals conceded on the defensive, leaving Füllkrug and Schmidt far too much space.
Bochum defensive negligent
After the restart, Bochum presented themselves more aggressively, tried to press higher and put Bremen under pressure. However without effect. The Werder team routinely kept the ball in their own ranks and gave goalkeeper Jiří Pavlenka a quiet Saturday afternoon for the full 90 minutes.
The next Bochum negligence in defense then sealed the third Bundesliga bankruptcy in a row for VfL. Bochum refrained from placing a man lying behind the wall. Marvin Ducksch therefore chose a flat free-kick variant and hit the left corner from 16 meters (59).
The remaining season was then a mixture of administration (Bremen) and planlessness (Bochum). That shouldn’t have mattered to the Bremen viewers. They celebrated the green-whites and the eleven-point gap to their opponents from Bochum.
Small turf duel in Bochum
On Matchday 23, VfL Bochum will host FC Schalke 04 for a small turf duel (Saturday, March 4th, 2023 at 3:30 p.m.). At the same time Bremen is challenged in Augsburg.