Werder Bremen fought back to claim a valuable point in a 1-1 draw away at 1. FC Köln on Saturday evening. Niclas Füllkrug's second-half equaliser cancelled out an early deficit, securing a result that leaves Daniel Thioune's side in 10th place in the Bundesliga with four points from three matches.
The game started dramatically. Goalkeeper Karl Hein saved Werder in the eighth minute, denying a penalty from Thijs Dallinga. However, just three minutes later, Linton Maina put the hosts ahead. Werder struggled to find their rhythm initially and had to recover from the setback. Head coach Daniel Thioune said after the final whistle that after that you can easily get run over in Cologne. His team managed to regain control.
After the break, Werder took clear command. Olivier Deman (49th minute) and Chuki (53rd) missed good opportunities before Eren Dinkçi rattled the crossbar in the 58th minute. The persistent pressure finally paid off. From a cross, Amos Pieper won a key header, and Niclas Füllkrug converted from close range with his left foot in the 69th minute to level the score. It was the striker's second goal of the season. "But we freed ourselves from that and deservedly equalised," Thioune said.
The away point is a sign of the resilience the coach was particularly pleased with. He praised the attitude of the entire squad, including the players who came off the bench. With this point, Werder consolidates its position in the secure mid-table and now has four points on the board after the heavy opening defeat in Freiburg.
A short break without competitive matches now follows, which will be used for recovery and further work on team coordination. Focus has already shifted to the next home fixture. On 19 September, Werder Bremen hosts FC Augsburg, who are currently third in the table. A look at the upcoming schedule is available on our fixtures page. Thioune stressed that the team cannot rest on its laurels but wants to start the next phase of the season with renewed energy and claim all three points in front of their own fans.
This story first appeared at werder.de
