Thanks to Niclas Füllkrug, Werder Bremen ended their mini-crisis and clinched their second home win of the season. With his goal in the 85th minute, the World Cup candidate sealed an unadorned but not undeserved 1-0 (0-0) work victory against Hertha BSC. The newly promoted improved to sixth place in the table, the guests have to orient themselves more downwards again.
“It’s the best feeling to get such a late win at home. It’s special. It’s nice that I could help too,” said Füllkrug on “DAZN”: “We could have scored a goal in the first half, on Sunday In the end we struck.”
For Hertha’s Marco Richter it was a “classic 0-0 game”. But the striker also admitted: “It’s just easy with the filling jug that the ball then falls in.”
After exactly 100 seconds, the guests opened the game with a dangerous diagonal shot from Richter to the side netting, but this action was to remain the most explosive scene of the first 45 minutes. The two teams repeatedly got involved in stubborn duels, which meant that there was hardly any space gain.
If any danger arose, it arose from individual actions. Dodi Lukebakio just missed his sixth goal of the season after a fine solo (19th). Bremen’s Marvin Ducksch failed twice (5th and 26th) in a promising position, team-mate Leonardo Bittencourt was able to put his team ahead with a header in the 31st minute.
In line with the moderate performance of their protégés, both coaches were visibly dissatisfied. Hertha coach Sandro Schwarz repeatedly called for a more precise passing game, and time and again colleague Ole Werner obviously did not agree with the way the Hanseatic team played.
The hosts, who were defensively unstable in the initial phase, improved in the period that followed. The uncertainties were obviously related to the absence of the red-banned captain and defense chief Marco Friedel.
The actions, which were mostly sluggish in the first 45 minutes, became much more purposeful and dynamic after the change of sides. Both teams were no longer satisfied with the looming draw and took more risks. Schwarz acted so emotionally in the coaching zone that referee Tobias Reichel warned him.
First and foremost, however, it now became dangerous when shots were fired from a distance. Bremen increasingly wanted to force their success with high crosses, so Werner brought on Christian Groß (64′), who was strong in the air. But in the final phase, the action took place more in the Bremen half – until striker Füllkrug made the promoted team cheer with his ninth goal of the season.