Augsburg and Bremen close out 2025 with goalless draw
Relegation-threatened Augsburg hit the woodwork twice and had a late goal ruled out as they were held to a 0-0 draw by out-of-form Werder Bremen.
The home side entered the fixture having secured consecutive home wins for the first time this calendar year, while Bremen remained winless in their previous four league matches (D1, L3).
Manuel Baum's Augsburg were hampered by the absence of several key players due to Africa Cup of Nations call-ups, including Samuel Essende, Ismaël Gharbi and Elias Saad. Bremen coach Horst Steffen, meanwhile, was without suspended youngster Karim Coulibaly, while Victor Boniface missed out through injury.
First-half stalemate
The opening period proved to be a cautious affair with both teams struggling to create clear-cut chances. Alexis Claude-Maurice registered the first shot on target after nine minutes, testing Mio Backhaus with a long-range effort.
Marius Wolf followed with Augsburg's best opportunity moments later, but the Bremen goalkeeper produced an excellent save to deny him. Despite Bremen winning nine corners in the first half, they failed to trouble Finn Dahmen's goal, with a Cameron Puertas free-kick that flew just wide their most notable attempt.
The half ended with tensions flaring as Dimitrios Giannoulis and Romano Schmid were both cautioned following a minor altercation.
Woodwork denies hosts twice
Augsburg made a change at the interval with Mert Kömür replacing Wolf, while further substitutions followed for the hosts when Mads Pedersen and Elvis Rexhbecaj entered the fray for the cautioned Giannoulis and injured Kristijan Jakić.
The second half saw more attacking intent from both sides. Han-Noah Massengo headed narrowly wide for the hosts on the hour mark after Robin Fellhauer's excellent cross. Bremen responded through Amos Pieper, whose header from Schmid's delivery missed the target. The match's defining moment came in the 76th minute when Rexhbecaj struck a powerful shot that cannoned off Backhaus's post.
Claude-Maurice thought he had broken the deadlock shortly after, but his effort was disallowed for a foul by Massengo in the build-up. The drama continued into added time, with Phillip Tietz heading against the crossbar in the 97th minute before Schmid squandered a late chance at the other end.
Man of the Match: Mio Backhaus
Backhaus proved the difference between the teams with a commanding performance in the Bremen goal. The 22-year-old goalkeeper made six crucial saves to deny Augsburg, including excellent stops from Wolf in the first half and Claude-Maurice in the second period. Backhaus's assured passing and quick reactions, particularly during Augsburg's late pressure, ensured Bremen left Bavaria with a valuable point.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Augsburg 1.07 - Bremen 0.55
Fastest player: Marco Grüll, 33.75 km/h
Most pressed player: Alexis Claude-Maurice, 24 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Cédric Zesiger, +3.38
Fantasy Heroes: Mio Backhaus (SV Werder Bremen, 304 Points), Alexis Claude-Maurice (FC Augsburg, 288 Points), Amos Pieper (SV Werder Bremen, 197 Points)
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