Werder Bremen expected something entirely different as the Green-Whites went down to a bitter 3-0 defeat against Mainz 05 in front of a nearly sold out crowd at Coface Arena...
Werder Bremen expected something entirely different as the Green-Whites went down to a bitter 3-0 defeat against Mainz 05 in front of a nearly sold out crowd at Coface Arena...
Werder Bremen expected something entirely different as the Green-Whites went down to a bitter 3-0 defeat against Mainz 05 in front of a nearly sold out crowd at Coface Arena. The final losing margin was in order as well. After Nils Petersen's early own goal, Christoph Moritz and Yunus Malli added first half goals as the game was already decided at the break.
Line-up and formation: Werder coach Robin Dutt made just one change to his starting line-up as Franco Di Santo, who had scored against Hannover and Schalke, missed the game due to a yellow card suspension, with Petersen moving into his spot in the attack. Otherwise, there were no changes in Werder's 4-4-2 system.
Highlights of the match
5th Minute: GOAL for Mainz! A corner kick by Johannes Geis landed at the feet of Petersen, who mis-hit his clearance attempt and the ball went past Werder keeper Raphael Wolf. It was an unlucky ball for Werder and an unlucky start for the Green-Whites.
16th Minute: GOAL for Mainz! After the tough start, Werder worked hard to get back into the game. But the hosts all of a sudden were on the attack again. Sebastian Prödl wanted to clear the ball but it bounced too far off his chest and to the feet of Moritz, who blasted the loose ball past Wolf to make it 2-0 for Mainz.
39th Minute: GOAL for Mainz! The hosts add a third goal as Zdenek Pospech sends a fine through ball to Malli, who hammered the ball just under the crossbar and in. Thomas Tuchel's team were consequent with their chances and the 3-0 lead was a logical consequence.

Noteworthy:
- Mainz didn't just win clearly more challenges in the first half but also had well over 60 percent possession of the ball. Werder didn't have much space to create offensive pushes and seemed almost uncertain on the first two goals.
-It was already 3-0 at halftime for the guests, which essentially decided the match. Mainz had never held a bigger lead in the Bundesliga when heading into the changing rooms after 45 minutes.
Scene of the match: The unlucky own goal wasn't just the key scene of the match but also exemplary of Bremen's general performance at Coface Arena. It was a case of when it rains it pours as the striker hits into his own goal. Werder just have to forget about this and look forward.
Conclusion: Werder could have increased their distance from the lower ranks with at least a point. While the 3-0 defeat didn't erase the six-point lead from last week but Freiburg, Stuttgart and Hannover were all able to pick up points on Saturday. Bremen face off next week with 1899 Hoffenheim at home at Weser Stadium. That will be the Green-Whites' next chance to forget about their most recent performance.
