Werder Bremen achieved a narrow 1-0 victory over Mainz 05, moving up to seventh in the league. The match ended tumultuously, with Bremen finishing with nine players after receiving two yellow-red cards for dissent and their coach, Ole Werner, also sent off. The game featured missed opportunities, including a saved penalty by Bremen. Despite the win, Bremen’s Leonardo Bittencourt criticized the refereeing, claiming bias. Both teams will be without their head coaches for their upcoming matches.
Werder Bremen Secures Narrow Victory Against Mainz 05
In a tense match, Werder Bremen clinched a slim home victory against Mainz 05, allowing them to connect with the upper third of the league table. However, the match ended on a chaotic note as Bremen concluded the game with just nine players, along with their coach Ole Werner, who was also shown a red card.
Controversial Endings and Cards Aplenty
The final score of 1-0 in favor of Bremen quickly became overshadowed by heated exchanges in stoppage time. The team lost both Niklas Stark and captain Marco Friedl to yellow-red cards for dissent in the dying moments of the match (90.+4). Stark was penalized for wasting time during a throw-in, while Friedl confronted referee Martin Petersen after Stark received his second yellow card.
Petersen explained to DAZN, “As the game progressed, there were increasing delays. Stark’s actions warranted a yellow card, which led to the yellow-red. Friedl’s approach was inappropriate, and eventually, I reached my limit.” Even after the final whistle, tensions persisted as Petersen sent off Bremen’s coach, Ole Werner, for his complaints. “There were inappropriate exchanges,” Petersen remarked. “He later approached me to apologize, and that’s the end of it.”
In a public statement, Werner took responsibility for his actions, saying, “I lost my composure, which shouldn’t have happened. I sincerely apologize.” Following the match, the DFB’s sports jurisdiction will determine the length of his suspension. Additionally, Mainz’s coach, Bo Henriksen, will also be sidelined for one game due to accumulating yellow cards.
Discontent with the officiating was voiced by Bremen’s goal scorer, Leonardo Bittencourt, who stated, “The referees displayed a level of arrogance. It’s impressive how they managed to issue red cards without valid reasons. It felt as though Petersen had a specific agenda against us.”
Despite the drama, Bremen’s victory propelled them to seventh place in the table, one point behind Mainz, accumulating 30 points. This win marked Bremen’s first after a four-match winless streak, while Mainz faced their third defeat in the last four games.
A Fast-Paced Match with Missed Opportunities
The match began energetically, with Bremen nearly scoring in the opening seconds. Mitchell Weiser’s cross found Romano Schmid, whose header struck the crossbar, and he missed the follow-up shot from close range.
Bremen was awarded a penalty shortly thereafter when Mainz goalkeeper Robin Zentner mishandled a back pass and collided with Schmid (9). Although the Mainz players argued that Zentner touched the ball first, after a thorough review, referee Petersen confirmed the penalty. Marvin Ducksch’s attempt from the spot was saved by Zentner (12).
Just a few minutes later, Bremen took the lead. During a corner kick, the Mainz defense faltered, allowing Bittencourt to react swiftly and score from close range in the 14th minute. Although Mainz began to dominate possession afterward, they struggled to create significant scoring opportunities. Bremen had to make an early substitution due to a thigh injury to goal scorer Bittencourt (36).
After the break, Mainz continued to push for an equalizer but faced their own injury woes, losing Nadiem Amiri (46) and Stefan Bell (56) to thigh injuries. Despite their efforts, they could not find the back of the net, with Paul Nebel and Kaishu Sano both missing chances to score. In the closing moments, Bremen almost doubled their lead, but Ducksch was ruled offside (75), and Justin Njinmah missed an open chance (76).
Looking ahead, Werder Bremen will play in Munich next Friday (February 7, 20:30), while Mainz will host FC Augsburg the following day (February 8, 15:30). Both teams will navigate their upcoming matches without their head coaches on the sidelines.