Werder Bremen secured a convincing 3-1 home victory against RB Leipzig in their first Bundesliga match at the Weserstadion this season. Goals from Eren Dinkci, Niclas Füllkrug, and Marco Grüll on Saturday propelled the club to 9th place in the current league standings.
Ole Werner's team displayed immense work rate from the start, winning 70% of their duels before halftime. This intensity paid off early. In the 4th minute, Olivier Deman won the ball and initiated a quick combination: Füllkrug found Chuki, who immediately laid it off for Dinkci. The 24-year-old finished coolly.
His emotional celebration, kissing the crest and forming a heart for his girlfriend, was the highlight of a moving week. Dinkci dedicated the goal to his girlfriend Cinja, who was diagnosed with blood cancer in winter. "Many people know by now that she has leukemia. And her wish was also to somehow come back home or be close to home," the striker said after the match, as reported by Bild Sport.
How did Werder secure the win?
Leipzig posed a threat despite absences including Gruda, Lukeba, and Baumgartner. In the 24th minute, goalkeeper Karl Hein cleared a sloppy pass from Arthur against Christopher Nkunku. Referee Sascha Stegemann initially pointed to the penalty spot but withdrew the decision after a VAR review. Werder remained focused and controlled the game afterwards.
The second goal came in the 67th minute. From a Marco Grüll corner, Niclas Füllkrug powered a header from 13 meters into the net. Moments later, new signing Youri Regeer attempted a 40-meter lob over Marten Vandevoordt, who tipped the ball onto the crossbar. In the closing stages, Marco Grüll volleyed home to make it 3-0. Ridle Baku's consolation goal in the fifth minute of added time came too late.
What did captain Marco Friedl say?
The Werder captain expressed relief at the clear response to criticism following the season's opening performances. "The criticism did make us thoughtful. Honestly, I didn't see it as being as bad as it was portrayed." Friedl analyzed. With the win, Werder improved to three points from two games and now sits three points behind leaders SC Freiburg in the current stats.
Which players are currently unavailable?
The victory is all the more notable as Werder Bremen continues to be without several key players. The current injury list includes Felix Agu, Jens Stage, Justin Njinmah, and Senne Lynen. Their return would further strengthen the squad, especially ahead of the next away fixture.
When is the next match?
The Green-Whites travel to face 1. FC Köln on September 12th. The opponent currently sits in 10th place, promising an open contest. All upcoming fixtures are listed in the schedule. Another away win would solidify the positive turnaround after a chaotic summer featuring three last-minute transfer deals.
