It took less than 60 seconds for the first goal of the second half of the season to be scored in Bremen. In a wild game, Eintracht Frankfurt conceded three goals again—but still managed to earn a point.
Even the debut goal from winter signing Jovan Milosevic was not enough to end SV Werder Bremen’s crisis in the Bundesliga. The situation at Eintracht Frankfurt has also not improved after the 3-3 (1-1) draw at the start of the second half of the season. Serbian Milosevic scored 16 minutes after coming on as a substitute to make it 3-2 against the Champions League participants from Hesse. But Frankfurt’s Ansgar Knauff dashed Bremen’s hopes of their first win in six games in stoppage time.
The hosts held their own even after falling behind twice through goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo after 50 seconds and Nnamdi Collins (56′). Justin Njinmah (29′) and Jens Stage (78′) had each equalized for the hosts – and looked like winners after Milosevic’s goal.
The draw in front of 41,800 spectators helps neither Bremen in their relegation battle nor Frankfurt in their fight for a European place. The defensively vulnerable Hessians conceded three goals once again.
Werder with the same lineup, Frankfurt with a change of system
Werder coach Horst Steffen put his faith in the same lineup that started Tuesday’s 3-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund. His counterpart Dino Toppmöller, on the other hand, was forced to make changes after the 3-2 defeat at VfB Stuttgart.
Due to the injury of winter signing and striker Younes Ebnoutalib, he changed his system from 4-4-2 to 3-4-2-1 and brought in four new players.
Frankfurt’s lightning goal shocks Werder
Toppmöller’s forced change seemed to pay off quickly: After just 50 seconds, the ball was in the Bremen goal. Kalimuendo—Frankfurt’s second winter signing—beat Bremen defender Amos Pieper and lifted the ball over Werder goalkeeper Mio Backhaus into the net after a pass from Nathaniel Brown. The hosts took some time to recover from the early shock. For a long time, too little happened up front. Frankfurt concentrated on stabilizing their recently shaky defense and dropped back deep. Initially, this worked. Werder’s Njinmah was almost unstoppable Only the speedy Njinmah kept getting away from them. The Werder striker narrowly missed in the 20th minute after a counterattack, but nine minutes later he made amends after a classy pass from Yukinari Sugawara, ending Bremen’s three-game goal drought.
Werder then began their strongest spell of the game. The visitors could hardly get out of their own half, with Bremen increasingly controlling the game. Only chances were in short supply. Werder refuses to be rattled Werder continued to press after the break and put together some impressive combinations at times. Bremen were the better side. So it was all the more surprising when the visitors regained the lead – with a little help from the Werder defense. Collins (56′) took advantage of a mistake in the hosts’ build-up play and turned the game on its head. Werder were not fazed this time and continued to play forward. Once again, it was Njinmah (68′) who missed the best chance when he shot just wide from a free position.
Bremen did not give up and deservedly equalized through Stage (78′). Just two minutes later, Stuttgart loanee Milosevic made a fitting debut with a goal in his first home game for Werder. Knauff ultimately spoiled Bremen’s party.