Saïd El Mala's last-gasp strike earns Cologne a point at Werder Bremen
Saïd El Mala's star continues to rise, and his Matchday 12 heroics will only further his growing reputation. He rescued a late, late point for Cologne away to Werder Bremen, who had looked comfortable for large spells of the game.
Werder Bremen 1-1 Cologne
Goals: 1-0 Friedl 22‘ (assist: Stage), 1-1 El Mala 90+2‘
Red card: Stark 90+6’
Both Bremen and Cologne entered this Matchday 12 encounter looking to bounce back from defeats. The hosts were aiming for a fourth consecutive home win - a feat they hadn't achieved since 2018 - while Cologne were hoping to avoid a third straight defeat.
Bremen coach Horst Steffen kept faith with the same starting lineup despite their loss to Leipzig, while his counterpart Lukas Kwasniok made four changes with Alessio Castro-Montes, El Mala, Cenk Özkacar and Marius Bülter all coming into the side.
Bremen dominate first half
Bremen started brightly, putting the Billy Goats under pressure with their high pressing. The visitors then suffered an early setback when Dominique Heintz was forced off with an injury after just 12 minutes, with Rav van den Berg replacing him.
The hosts took a deserved lead in the 22nd minute when Marco Friedl headed home from close range after Jens Stage was first to react to a partially cleared corner, before finding his captain with a brilliant cross.
Cologne struggled to create chances, with El Mala's shot over the bar from inside the area their only notable opportunity. Bremen continued to threaten, with Romano Schmid and Cameron Puertas particularly influential in the first 45.
El Mala strikes late to save Köln
Bremen had a golden opportunity to extend their lead early in the second half when Schmid was denied one-on-one by Marvin Schwäbe. The hosts came again though, and thought they had scored a second in the 55th minute when Keke Topp converted the rebound from Stage's effort, but VAR ruled it out for offside.
As the match progressed, Cologne gradually grew in confidence and began to threaten. Luca Waldschmidt, introduced in the 74th minute, nearly equalised shortly after when his effort struck the post from distance. The visitors' persistence was rewarded in the first minute of stoppage time when El Mala beat Sugawara on the left, cut inside and fired a shot that deflected past Mio Backhaus.
The late drama didn't end there though, as Bremen's Niklas Stark received a second yellow card with the final whistle moments away.
Man of the Match: Marco Friedl
The Bremen captain led by example with an all-action display. His well-taken header gave the hosts a deserved lead, and he was a commanding presence in defense throughout. Friedl won five duels, made several important clearances, and was a threat from set-pieces. Despite his team being unable to hold on for victory, the Austrian's performance earned him the Man of the Match award with 34% of the votes, reflecting his influence at both ends of the pitch.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Bremen 1.55 - Cologne 0.87
Fastest player: Saïd El Mala (Cologne), 34.76 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 1-1 by Saïd El Mala (Cologne), 7.73 percent
Most pressed player: Saïd El Mala (Cologne), 25 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Yukinari Sugawara (Werder Bremen), 4.83
Fantasy Heroes: Saïd El Mala (Cologne, 312 Points), Marco Friedl (Werder Bremen, 255 Points), Yukinari Sugawara (Werder Bremen, 254 Points)
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