Fourth consecutive draw for Werder

1-1 vs. Köln
SVW were unable to find a second goal against the Billy Goats (nordphoto).
Match Report
Friday, 06.11.2020 / 22:45

It was cagey affair on Friday night at the Weserstadion in which neither team could find a winner. Head coach Florian Kohfeldt’s side drew the fourth consecutive game as the points were shared against 1. FC Köln. Following a sluggish first half with few genuine chances for either side, the guests were more than happy to see Werder captain Niklas Moisander steer the ball into his own net to give them the lead (67’). However, Leonardo Bittencourt was able to put SVW back on level terms from the penalty spot. Despite battling to the end and creating more chances at the death, the Green-Whites could not deliver a knockout blow to Köln, adding one more point to the tally.

Line up and formation: For the match under the floodlights, head coach Florian Kohfeldt made two changes to the Werder starting XI. Milot Rashica made his first start of the season alongside Ömer Toprak, who started for the first time since the cup game in Jena. They replaced Tahith Chong who dropped to the bench, and Milos Veljkovic who missed the clash due to a problems with his adductors. The rest of the starting XI were the same as the side that faced Frankfurt last weekend.

Few dangerous chances for either side

The first 45 minutes had few attacking moves for either side (nordphoto).

First-half highlights:

2nd minute: Big chance straight from kick-off! Marius Wolf’s misplaced pass is snatched up by Manuel Mbom, but Timo Horn rushes out to prevent the shot.

5th minute: It’s a scrappy game, with referee Florian Badstübner interfering on three occasions already. The hosts have another free-kick as Milot Rashica’s long ball is punched away by Timo Horn.

15th minute: Ondrej Duda lets fly from a tight angle but misses by some distance. Nevertheless, this is one of the few penalty-area incidents to talk about so far.

20th minute: SVW have another go. Joshua Sargent gets a through ball into the area, but Sebastiaan Bornauw shrugs him off the ball to avert the danger.

30th minute: Finally another shot on goal. A mistake in possession at the back by Köln allows Sargent to break forward and square it to Rashica, who lays it off for Mbom. Mbom goes for goal, but clears the crossbar by a few yards. 

Missed chances

Leonardo Bittencourt brought Werder level from the penalty spot (nordphoto).

Second half highlights:

46th minute:
The second half continues where the first ended as referee Florian Badstübner stops the game due to a foul for the home team. The free kick is whipped into a dangerous area, but ultimately comes to nothing.

52nd minute: A misunderstanding between Salih Özcan and Ron-Robert Zieler brings a chance for Werder. Joshua Sargent chases the loose ball but the Köln defence manage to sweep up the danger and clear to safety.

55th minute: The game is starting to pick up as Werder go on the attack again. Milot Rashica picks up the ball and lets fly from just outside the box, but his effort clears the crossbar.

61st minute: Now it’s the guests’ turn to attack as Sebastian Andersson attempts a headed effort after finding space in the box. However he aims his header too centrally and it’s an easy save for Jirí Pavlenka to hold.

64th minute: Milot Rashica has another attempt on goal as he picks up the ball and takes aim, but the shot is off target.

67th minute: Köln take the lead out of nowhere as Niklas Moisander can only steer the ball into his own net. Marius Wolf whips in a dangerous free-kick that the Werder captain deflects into his own net. Unlucky!

78th minute: The introduction of Tahith Chong injects some much needed urgency into the Werder team. The Dutchman dribbles down the wing and cuts inside to shoot, but his effort is too weak to beat Ron-Robert Zieler in the Köln goal.

82nd minute: Werder back on level terms! Sebastiaan Bornauw handles a cross from Chong, and Leonardo Bittencourt steps up to slam the ball to the keeper’s right. A well-deserved equaliser!

89th minute: Tahith Chong dribbles into the Köln box but his effort is off target as SVW search for a winner.

92nd minute: So close! Joshua Sargent rises highest but heads straight at the Köln keeper. A golden chance to get a winner!

Conclusion: Following a sluggish and cagey first half in which both sides took no risks, the restart saw a sense of urgency injected into the performances of both teams. Despite Werder having more possession and arguably the better chances, the guests were able to take the lead as Niklas Moisander scored an own goal to give them the advantage. This was a wakeup call for Kohfeldt’s side who turned up the pressure and started to create chances, though they were still not getting close enough. Werder then equalised through a Bittencourt penalty and the Green-Whites went in search of a winner, but ultimately had to settle with the points being shared as Joshua Sargent’s late header was saved by the Köln keeper.

Your web browser ist outdated.
The web browser you are using is no longer supported.
Please download one of these free and up to date browsers.
Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge
Chrome Firefox Edge
Google Chrome
Mozilla Firefox
MS Edge
Why should I use an up to date web browser?
Security
Newer web browsers provide better protection against malware, data theft and other threats to your privacy and security. Up to date browsers continuously close security holes that allow attackers to enter your computer.
New Technologies
The technologies used on modern websites are better supported by newer web browsers. This both increases functionality and improves the website layout. By benefiting from new functions and extensions you will be able to surf the web faster and easier.