Team news: It was a day of firsts as two players featured in the starting line-up for SVW for the first time in the shape of attacker Rafael Borré and left-back Olivier Deman. Additionally, Marvin Ducksch, Senne Lynen and Milos Veljkovic returned to the starting XI as part of five changes from the loss in Heidenheim. Naby Keïta was also amongst the substitutes for the first time after recovering from his abductor injury. Niklas Stark led the team as captain due to Marco Friedl’s absence with a rib injury.
Werder’s starting XI: Pavlenka – Pieper, Stark, Veljkovic – Weiser, Lynen, Deman – Schmid, Stage – Ducksch, Borré
Bench: Zetterer – Jung, Rapp, Bittencourt, Groß, Keïta, Kownacki, Njinmah, Woltemade
Borré slots home from Ducksch’s pass
First-half highlights
5th minute: Bremen threaten with their first corner. Ducksch puts in a cross to the near post, but Stark’s header goes just over the bar.
14th minute: The first test for Pavlenka – which he passes with flying colours. Maina sets himself on the left-hand side just outside the box and looks to find the bottom right corner with the inside of his foot, but Pavlenka is able to make the save from his strong effort.
16th minute: Paqarada plays the ball through to Ljubicic, who then shoots from a tight angle. Pieper throws himself in front of the ball just in time and deflects the ball out for a corner with his block.
27th minute: SVW go centimetres away from taking the lead! Schmid sets the tempo in the centre, with the Austrian receiving the ball back after interplay between Borré and Ducksch. He finds himself in space in the box, although Köln’s Huseinbasic gets a foot in, causing the ball to roll centimetres wide of the visitors’ goal.
31st minute: Goal, 0-1, Davie Selke. Kainz whips a corner into the six-yard area, with Chabot getting on the end of his cross. Deman manages to block his effort, but Selke nods the ball home into the right-hand side of the goal from two yards out with the rebound.
38th minute: Goal, 1-1, Rafael Borré. What a beautiful move! Werder find the equaliser as Ducksch plays a pinpoint pass into the centre of the box, where Borré keeps his composure and slots the ball past Schwäbe into the right-hand side of the goal.
42nd minute: Ducksch is involved once again. He sends the ball into the six-yard area from the by-line, with Schmitz’s clearance not going very far. That gives Deman the chance to unleash a first-time effort, although Schwäbe pulls off a brilliant save.
45+3rd minute: Referee Dankert blows the whistle for half time after Ducksch’s corner is cleared by Schwäbe.
Njinmah goal cues Werder celebrations – Keïta makes his debut
Second-half highlights
46th minute: No more than 30 seconds have been played when Schmid forces Köln’s keeper Schwäbe into his next good save. The Bremen man drives into the box side on the left-hand side and shoots from a tight angle, with Schwäbe just able to turn the low effort past the post with a fingertip stop.
67th minute: Goal, 2-1, Justin Njinmah. Less than a minute after his introduction, Njinmah is set away in the right-hand side of the box by Lynen. The substitute finds himself in behind Hübers and puts the chance away with his first touch of the game.
70th minute: Werder go close again, with Njinmah once again at the centre of things. The goalscorer picks out Ducksch just inside the box, although his first-time effort flies just over the bar.
74th minute: Köln’s right-back Schmitz cuts onto his left on the right-hand edge of the box and takes aim at goal, but Pavlenka is able to push his firm effort over the bar with his fingertips.
81st minute: Kainz’s free-kick from the left has plenty of pace on it and the substitute Tigges has a free header, but Pavlenka makes the save with his hands.
89th minute: Werder get very lucky. Kainz’s free-kick from the right reaches the far post, where Köln substitute Damion Downs is left with a free header, but his effort strikes the outside of the post.
90+4th minute: The recently introduced Keïta sets Werder away on the counter on his debut with a backheel. Njinmah then attacks down the right, before finding Keita once again. He turns in the penalty area and gets a shot off, but it goes narrowly wide of the near post.
90+6th minute: Full-time in Bremen. Werder can celebrate a well-deserved second win of the season.
Borré slots home from Ducksch’s pass
First-half highlights
5th minute: Bremen threaten with their first corner. Ducksch puts in a cross to the near post, but Stark’s header goes just over the bar.
14th minute: The first test for Pavlenka – which he passes with flying colours. Maina sets himself on the left-hand side just outside the box and looks to find the bottom right corner with the inside of his foot, but Pavlenka is able to make the save from his strong effort.
16th minute: Paqarada plays the ball through to Ljubicic, who then shoots from a tight angle. Pieper throws himself in front of the ball just in time and deflects the ball out for a corner with his block.
27th minute: SVW go centimetres away from taking the lead! Schmid sets the tempo in the centre, with the Austrian receiving the ball back after interplay between Borré and Ducksch. He finds himself in space in the box, although Köln’s Huseinbasic gets a foot in, causing the ball to roll centimetres wide of the visitors’ goal.
31st minute: Goal, 0-1, Davie Selke. Kainz whips a corner into the six-yard area, with Chabot getting on the end of his cross. Deman manages to block his effort, but Selke nods the ball home into the right-hand side of the goal from two yards out with the rebound.
38th minute: Goal, 1-1, Rafael Borré. What a beautiful move! Werder find the equaliser as Ducksch plays a pinpoint pass into the centre of the box, where Borré keeps his composure and slots the ball past Schwäbe into the right-hand side of the goal.
42nd minute: Ducksch is involved once again. He sends the ball into the six-yard area from the by-line, with Schmitz’s clearance not going very far. That gives Deman the chance to unleash a first-time effort, although Schwäbe pulls off a brilliant save.
45+3rd minute: Referee Dankert blows the whistle for half time after Ducksch’s corner is cleared by Schwäbe.