Kruse hits four to fire Bremen past Ingolstadt

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Max Kruse scores four times as Werder Bremen come from behind twice to make it 10 games unbeaten and deny Ingolstadt a much-needed win.

Ingolstadt 2-4 Werder Bremen

Goals:1-0  Lezcano (32’), 1-1 Kruse (pen, 45’), 2-1 Groß (pen, 62’), 2-2 Kruse (82’), 2-3 Kruse (87’), 2-4 Kruse (94’)

This was one of three home games Ingolstadt have left and the team in second bottom were determined to make the most of familiar surroundings.  Almog Cohen, who has five goals in 2017, came close to his eighth of the season when his deflected shot forced Felix Wiedwald into action on 10 minutes.

The visiting defence switched off completely on 32 minutes though when Marcel Tisserand was allowed to stride into the Bremen half and loft a ball over the top for Dario Lezcano. Unmarked, the Paraguayan brilliantly chested the ball down and calmly volleyed home his fifth goal of the season.

Right on half-time though, Ingolstadt were caught out on the counter. Fin Bartels was put clearand a desperate tackle from behind by Tisserand brought with it a penalty and a yellow card. Max Kruse sent the keeper the wrong way from the spot for his 10th goal of the season.

Bartels sidefooted wide at the end of an early Bremen break in the second half before the home side regained control. Cohen twice threatened before winning a penalty when the luckless Niklas Moisander was adjudged to have fouled him.  Pascal Groß took the spot-kick and squeezed it into the corner despite Wiedwald getting a touch.

Ingolstadt looked comfortable but Martin Hansen’s punch clear dropped at the feet of Kruse to level with eight minutes left. He then swept home from outside the box with three minutes to go and completed a remarkable turnaround by scoring into an empty net in injury-time after Hansen had gone up for a corner.

Man of the Match

Who else but Max Kruse? He kept his cool from the penalty spot, poached a goal to level the game in the second half, scored a stunner for his third and added a fourth for good measure.

Talking Point

Bremen have now gone 10 games unbeaten - winning five of their last six. They were not at their best here so surely there is no stopping this kind of momentum as they push for a European place?

Match Stats

    Max Kruse has scored all 11 penalties he has taken in the Bundesliga.Kruse has scored 11 of his 13 Bundesliga goals in 2017. This was the first time he scored four in a Bundesliga game.Ingolstadt lost despite having 15 attempts on goal to Bremen's nine.

Line-ups

Ingolstadt: Hansen - Hadergjonaj, Roger (c), Tisserand, Christiansen (Hinterseer 75’) - Cohen, Morales - Kittel, Groß, Leckie – Lezcano (Lex 85’).

Coach: Maik Walpurgis

Bremen: Wiedwald – Veljkovic (Gnabry 67’), Sane, Moisander (c) - Gebre Selassie, Grillitsch (Pizarro 67’), M. Eggestein, Bauer - Kruse - Bartels, Kainz (Bargfrede 89’).

Coach: Alexander Nouri

Head here for the Ingolstadt vs. Werder Bremen Match Centre!

Watch: A delighted Max Kruse gives his reaction to the game: