It was looking like a classic Borussia Dortmund game, at least in recent seasons.
Dortmund hadn’t played a great contest at home, especially going forward. They didn’t create too many clear cut chances despite having plenty of the ball. However, in the 80th minute they finally opened the scoring on the break, and then doubled their advantage off a corner five minutes later.
Just like that the result was seemingly wrapped up. BVB arguably had the best defense in the league, mastering the art of winning ugly. All they had to do was sit back, absorb pressure, and secure the three points.
Werder Bremen had other ideas.
Rapid response
First things first, the visitors deserve plenty of credit for keeping their heads.
Conceding twice in such a short span after having defended so strongly for so long must have been a tough pill to swallow. The first was preventable, as Bremen were caught way too high up the field. You could say the same for the second for different reasons, as the referee missed a blatant offside as the ball flew into the net.
Instead of accepting defeat, Werder struck back moments later. It came via a moment of individual brilliance from Ludovit Reis, who sent two defenders to the shops with a brilliant turn. He finished off the move in similar style, driving forward before drilling a shot into the bottom corner.
That gave the Green-Whites (or on this occasion, the Pinks) life. They knew that any single opening could draw them level again. The sense of urgency exploded, as they sprinted after every loose ball and won almost all of them.
That is what led to Mitchell Weiser winning a free-kick in a dangerous position late on.
Attacking gamechangers
Marco Grüll could have gone for goal himself. While the set-piece was a little further than most prefer, the winger has unleashed striker from that range before due to the power in his legs.
He decided otherwise. The Austrian walked up to the ball and dinked it into the penalty area. It was a lovely cross that begged to be attacked. That’s where Niclas Füllkrug came into play.
Bremen had a routine set up. A number of their players lurched forward, but then sprinted back towards their own goal. One man went the opposite direction, and that was Füllkrug. The scheme left him unmarked, and with a goalkeeper in no-man’s land the headed finish was simple.
All involved with Werder erupted into joy, whether it was the players on the pitch, the coaches on the sideline, or the supporters in the away end. It was a wild comeback, and remarkably enough it was the third time in only a few years that they came back from two goals down in Dortmund.
There was time for either side to grab a winner, but in the end the points were shared, a fair finale when all was said and done.
Recent returns
Not only was it another remontada in Dortmund for Bremen, but it was their third comeback in as many outings.
They went down early on the road against Köln, and managed to snatch an equalizer with about 20 minutes to go. Werder dug themselves a two-goal hole at home versus Augsburg, came back to tie things up, and then went one better and grabbed a winner in the final moments.
This team does not give up. They simply don’t want to. It feels like the Green-Whites know how much talent they have, and how much support their fanbase has in them, and they don’t want to waste it or let anyone down.
Manager Daniel Thioune should be praised for that. His short reign last season was good enough, but there were still plenty of reasons to worry about his future. He’s turned it around, and his players are completely on his side. The fact that Füllkrug ran to him after scoring should say a lot.
While there is the aforementioned talent in the roster, it’s not the best in the league. However, it’s more than enough, and the team gets such a boost when everyone is flying around the pitch fighting for each other.
Bremen’s upcoming Bundesliga schedule has promise, and the club could go on a real run here. If they keep playing the way they have, they’ll be a tough side to beat, and they might finally make a return to European football.