At the Wohninvest Weserstadion, Werder Bremen and Cologne ended in a 1-1 stalemate during matchday 12 of the Bundesliga.
Werder Bremen took the lead in the 22nd minute through a header from Marco Friedl. However, Cologne equalized just before the final whistle with Said El Mala’s goal in the 90th minute of the game.
Said El Mala’s performance was outstanding, as he not only scored the crucial equalizer but also showcased great skill throughout the match.
Meanwhile, Marco Friedl’s defensive presence was significant for Werder Bremen, contributing both defensively and with the opening goal.
Head coach Horst Steffen set up Werder Bremen in a 4-5-1 formation, featuring Mio Backhaus in goal, with a backline of Yukinari Sugawara, Amos Pieper, Karim Coulibaly, and Marco Friedl; a midfield consisting of Jens Stage, Senne Lynen, Marco Grüll, Romano Schmid, and Cameron Puertas; while Keke Topp led the attack.
On the other hand, Cologne’s tactician Lukas Kwasniok opted for a 3-4-3 alignment with Marvin Schwäbe guarding the net; a defensive trio of Sebastian Sebulonsen, Dominique Heintz, and Cenk Ozkacar; a midfield featuring Eric Martel, Ísak Jóhannesson, Jan Thielmann, and Alessio Castro Montes; and Said El Mala, Jakub Kaminski, and Marius Bülter as forwards.
Referee Bastian Dankert was responsible for maintaining order throughout the match.
In the upcoming fixtures, Werder Bremen will travel to face Hamburg SV, while Cologne will host FC St. Pauli. Currently, Werder Bremen sits in eighth place on the table with 16 points, and Cologne follows closely in ninth with 15 points.
Substitutions for Werder Bremen
71’ 2T – Keke Topp was substituted for Victor Boniface
80’ 2T – An additional substitution for Mbangula
81’ 2T – Another player was replaced by Samuel Mbangula
Yellow Cards for Werder Bremen:
29’ 2T – Niklas Stark (Unsporting behavior)
Red Card for Werder Bremen:
51’ 2T – Niklas Stark (Second yellow card)
Substitutions for Cologne
12’ 1T – Dominique Heintz was substituted for Rav van den Berg
45’ 2T – Ísak Jóhannesson was replaced by Kris Lund, Alessio Castro Montes by Tom Krauss, and Amos Pieper by Niklas Stark
73’ 2T – Cenk Ozkacar was replaced by Luca Waldschmidt
82’ 2T – Eric Martel was substituted for Florian Kainz
Yellow Cards for Cologne:
39’ 1T – Alessio Castro Montes (Unsporting behavior)
30’ 2T – Jan Thielmann (Unsporting behavior)
33’ 2T – Eric Martel (Unsporting behavior)
51’ 2T – Marius Bülter (Unsporting behavior)