“SV Werder Bremen’s Defensive Play Takes Center Stage in Match Against FSV Mainz 05”

What was written last October when SV Werder Bremen lost their home game against FSV Mainz 05. The team is too immature, not mature enough. The promoted team was even described as pacifist after the 2-0 defeat at the Weser Stadium. Why? Because the green-whites actually only committed three fouls when they lost. A rarity value that is particularly bizarre after the recent re-run of the duel. When it was 2-2 on Saturday, coach Ole Werner’s team broke the flow of the game 22 times. As often as never before this season.

“We threw everything in and also made clever fouls,” summed up a visibly exhausted Marco Friedl after the match, although it was not entirely clear whether the nerve-wracking final phase with four goals had bothered the captain more or rather the long, intensive one start before. The latter was a pretty tough affair, with more action between than in the respective penalty areas.

Anyone who is only looking for an offensive spectacle may regret that, but elsewhere the vehemence of preventing dangerous situations is quite good. At least when it comes to those in front of their own goal. “In terms of defensive behavior as a team, I found it much better overall than in the previous weeks,” praised Ole Werner. “However, in the last quarter of an hour we didn’t manage to keep the ball out of the last third.”

It was the phase when the roller coaster ride in the Mainz Mewa Arena really began. Werder had avoided almost all turbulence in the first half with 15 fouls, followed by seven more in the second half – a season record. The previous high was 19 (first half of the season against Hoffenheim), but the Bremen team averaged 12.18 fouls per game. The current number of yellow cards was correspondingly high. In Christian Groß, Jens Stage, Marvin Ducksch, Ilia Gruev and Niklas Stark, five Werder professionals were warned by the referee for their respective offences. A high price, which was justified in the end thanks to the one counter.

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