Mitchell Weiser's late strike secures win for in-form Werder Bremen in fight for Europe

Werder Bremen secured a 1-0 victory against Bochum thanks to Mitchell Weiser's late goal, extending their winning streak to four Bundesliga matches and dealing a blow to Bochum's survival hopes.

Werder Bremen 1-0 Bochum
Goals: 1-0 Weiser 80‘ (assist: Njinmah)
Red card: Sissoko 86‘

Bremen entered the match riding a wave of momentum, having won their last three Bundesliga fixtures. In contrast, Bochum arrived at the Weserstadion in desperate need of points, having lost four consecutive league games. 

Mitchell Weiser scored the only goal of the game. - Stuart Franklin

Tight first half

The first half was a cagey affair, with both teams struggling to create clear-cut chances. Marvin Ducksch had the best opportunity early on for Bremen, but his shot went wide after five minutes. The half was mostly characterised by the midfield battle, with Bochum edging the half slightly, but failing to create any real chances.

Marvin Ducksch thought he had given Bremen the lead. - IMAGO/nordphoto GmbH / Tauchnitz

Bremen's second-half surge

Werder Bremen came out with renewed energy after the interval, gradually asserting their dominance. The hosts thought they had taken the lead in the 56th minute when Ducksch found the net, but VAR ruled it out for a marginal offside. This setback didn't deter Bremen, who continued to press forward. Ole Werner made a triple substitution in the 68th minute, bringing on Leonardo Bittencourt, Marco Grüll, and Justin Njinmah, which proved to be a turning point. Their persistence was finally rewarded in the 80th minute when Mitchell Weiser poked home from close range following a cross from Njinmah. The goal was initially flagged offside but was awarded after another VAR review.

Ole Werner's triple change in attack was vital in adding life back into the game. - IMAGO/nordphoto GmbH / Tauchnitz

Bochum's late woes

Bochum's task became even more difficult in the 86th minute when Ibrahima Sissoko received his second yellow card, reducing the visitors to ten men. Despite this setback, Bochum pushed for an equaliser in the closing stages, but Bremen's defence held firm. The win is Bremen's fourth straight Bundesliga win and now the hosts have real optimism of qualifying for Europe next season.

Oliver Burke set the fourth fastest sprint time of the season during the game. - IMAGO/nordphoto GmbH / Rauch

Player of the Match: Mitchell Weiser

Weiser's decisive goal capped off an excellent all-round performance. The versatile player was a constant threat down the right flank, creating chances for his teammates and ultimately scoring the winner. Weiser's contribution was crucial in breaking down a stubborn Bochum defence.

Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Bremen 1.98 - Bochum 0.73
Fastest player: Oliver Burke (Bremen), 36.72 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 1-0 by Mitchell Weiser (Bremen), 56.2 percent
Most pressed player: Philipp Hofmann (Bochum), 20 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Felix Agu (Bremen), +2.35

Fantasy Heroes: Mitchell Weiser (Bremen, 323 Points), Niklas Stark (Bremen, 221 Points), Amos Pieper (Bremen, 208 Points)

About the clubs

VfL Bochum 1848

Vonovia Ruhrstadion

SV Werder Bremen

Weserstadion