Nine-man Werder Bremen hold on to post win over Mainz

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Nine-man Werder Bremen hold on to post win over Mainz

Werder Bremen held onto their first-half goal and survived the final minutes with nine men on the pitch to register a 1-0 Bundesliga win against in-form Mainz.

Bremen missed a penalty in the 12th minute on Friday as Marvin Ducksch’s spot-kick was saved by goalkeeper Robin Zentner.

“Very infuriating,”was Zentner’s response to the penalty awarded after he miscontrolled a pass and fouled Romano Schmid when trying to recover the ball.

The keeper added: “I don’t know if that was a foul. Of course, bad contact from my part, but I get to the ball first.”

However, Bremen’s good start was rewarded two minutes later.

The ball was loose in the box after Mainz failed to clear a corner and Issa Kabore flicked the ball to Leonardo Bittencourt, who fired it into the roof of the net from close range.

It was a bittersweet evening for Bittencourt, however, as he limped off the pitch in the 33th with an apparent muscle injury.

Mainz had a big chance to grab at least a point in the 61st, but Danny Da Costa’s effort from outside of the area took a deflection off Bremen defender Anthony Jung and hit the post.

The game took a dramatic turn when Bremen had Niklas Stark and Marco Friedl sent off in stoppage-time.

Stark was shown a second yellow for delaying the game, while Friedl was in the same situation after he voiced his disapproval to the referee.

Bremen still managed to keep all three points, but coach Ole Werner was also given a red card after the final whistle.

Bittencourt said he doesn’t have “a bad feeling about” the injury, even though he couldn’t keep playing. “We have to wait. I hope it isn’t anything wild,” he told broadcasters DAZN.

Asked about the red card handed to coach Werner, he said: “I know our coach. He’s a calm person. I don’t believe he could have said something (to the referee) to deserve a red card.”

Mainz remain sixth and in the Conference League spot ahead of the matches at the weekend, while Bremen moved up to seventh.

Leaders Bayern Munich host promoted Holstein Kiel on Saturday, when Borussia Dortmund visit Heidenheim. Champions Bayer Leverkusen welcome Hoffenheim on Sunday.

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