Ole Werner threw up his arms and hugged those who had jumped into the breach for Niclas Füllkrug. The Werder fans cheered in the stands like they hadn’t for a long time – and didn’t seem to miss their top striker, who had migrated to Borussia Dortmund.
“Niclas was an absolute identification figure. But we have our economic constraints,” said Bremen’s professional football manager Clemens Fritz after the convincing 4-0 (1-0) win over Mainz 05 on the Sky TV channel: “It also gives other players opportunities.”
Whether Dawid Kownacki, Nick Woltemade or Justin Njinmah – several tried quite successfully to fill the big gap that Füllkrug left at Werder. Still without filling pitcher replacement Rafael Borre, they made a significant contribution to the first win of the season and allayed the disappointment of the green-white fans after losing the top scorer.
Ducksch hits and has to leave the field
Marvin Ducksch, who had to leave the field injured in the first half, put the hosts in the Weserstadion ahead with a penalty kick in the third minute of the game. The striker had previously been brought down by Mainz defender Andreas Hanche-Olsen.
In the second half, Werder made another lightning start with a header from Jens Stage (53rd minute), which the 05ers, who were still without a win, were unable to counter. Substitutes Leonardo Bittencourt (82nd) and Justin Njinmah (83rd) increased in the closing stages.
After the cup, two opening defeats in the league and the sensational transfer to Borussia Dortmund for up to 15 million euros, there was a certain amount of nervousness around the Weser Stadium before the Mainz duel. Borre, who as a player on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt should at least close the gap of the successful goalscorer, leading player and crowd favorite, was not yet in the squad.
Filling jug transfer economically necessary
Werder’s managing director Frank Baumann explained before kick-off that his club had no alternative to selling a jug for financial reasons. “The focus was on the economic necessity of having to achieve significant transfer surpluses,” said Baumann on Sky: “We managed the mix between economic stability and a competitive team well.”
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He could feel confirmed by the performance. Kownacki moved up to the top as a substitute for the jug and was directly involved in the formation of the Bremen leadership. Mainz coach Bo Svensson, on the other hand, couldn’t be happy at all with the start, Stage came up with Werder’s next big chance five minutes later (8th), Romano Schmid (28th) and Ducksch substitute Woltemade (39th) also had the first passage can meet. Jae-Sung Lee (26’/29′) posed two threats for the guests, but overall the room layout was too seldom to develop control of the game.
Mainz, with youngster Brajan Gruda in the starting eleven for the first time, tried to increase the pressure at the beginning of the second half. Werder still had the action under control and always remained dangerous.
