Third away win in a row: Werder Bremen won at 1. FC Köln in the Bundesliga on Friday evening (February 16, 2024). A Bremen joker made the difference.
When Justin Njinmah scored the 1-0 (0-0) winning goal for Werder Bremen in the 70th minute, he had not been on the field for four minutes. It was Njinmah’s fifth goal of the season. In the table, Bremen now climbs to seventh place with 29 points, at least for one night. This also has to do with games that do not take place in Bremen. Away games are a Bremen thing right now.
They won an away Bundesliga game against Cologne for the third time in a row, something Werder Bremen last achieved 42 years ago under Otto Rehhagel. Werder had previously drawn twice in foreign stadiums.
To the live ticker: Cologne – Bremen arrow right 22nd matchday arrow right
For 1. FC Köln it was also the end of a short series. Timo Schultz’s team had previously remained undefeated three times. After their twelfth defeat of the season, FC remains in 16th place.
Bremen’s Ducksch shot was centimeters missing
The guests from Bremen got off to a better start in the opening game of the 22nd matchday. Only a few seconds had been played when Werder’s striker Marvin Ducksch pulled away from the turn on the edge of the penalty area and narrowly missed the Cologne goal.
FC took the subsequent goal kick briefly – and that almost took revenge because Max Finkgräfe lost the ball. In the end the ball ended up back at Ducksch, who this time aimed straight at goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe (1st).
Cologne and Bremen have little choice with the ball
Cologne were often left behind in these first scenes of the game. That changed afterwards, the game was now an even one – but it wasn’t a good football game. The duels increased, but the ball losses and other inadequacies also increased.
Both teams hardly had any chances to score. Werder Bremen at least had the two Ducksch shots, and FC will only remember one shot from Jan Thielmann. Thielmann, who again played as a central striker, shot past the goal from the edge of the penalty area on the right (33′).
Protests also in Cologne: “Let’s not control it remotely”
When referee Daniel Siebert interrupted the game in the 55th minute because parts of the Cologne fan scene were protesting against the DFL’s investor plans, their concern was serious. But their protest was creative. Not only were they throwing tennis balls, they had somehow gotten remote-controlled toy cars onto the lawn. They also unrolled a banner that also said: “We will not allow ourselves to be controlled by remote control.”
Afterwards, football was played again, even if the few chances to score were rarely created. They often came about by chance, like in the 61st minute, when Werder’s Ducksch crossed a corner into the penalty area, where Cologne’s Timo Hüber almost put the ball into his own goal.
Ducksch also brought the following corner in advance, this time it slipped across the penalty area. Jens Stage was at the penalty spot; he didn’t take the ball, but rather handled it with a dropkick. That was demanding. He missed the goal by a good meter.
In Cologne the assignment is incorrect. Bremen’s Njinmah thanks you
When a goal was scored, the development was fitting for this game. Bremen’s Mitchell Weiser had a lot of time on the right side and no one bothered him with his cross. In the middle, Cologne’s goalkeeper Schwäbe left the goal line and missed the ball. This left Njinman completely free; he has already scored more difficult goals.
Bremen’s Friedl saves on the line
And suddenly it was no longer a boring game, it was now an open game. Cologne took significantly more risk and was almost rewarded for it when substitute Justin Diehl took a corner to the back post, where Weiser involuntarily headed towards his own goal. That would probably have been the equalizer if Werder’s captain Marco Friedl hadn’t saved the ball on the line.
Shortly before the end, in the 87th minute, a contentious scene arose after a Cologne free kick. Bremen’s goalkeeper Michael Zetterer jumped up, but hit Cologne’s Luca Kilian with his knee in the back. FC would have liked to get a penalty, but didn’t get it. Referee Siebert did not recognize any foul play, and there was apparently no objection from the VAR either.
1. FC Cologne continues on matchday 23 on Saturday (February 24, 2024) with an away game at VfB Stuttgart. At the same time, Werder Bremen is challenged in the home game against Darmstadt 98.