Junuzovic inspires Bremen to important win over Eintracht Frankfurt
Werder Bremen took a potentially decisive step away from the relegation zone and dented Eintracht Frankfurt's top-four aspirations with a 2-1 win at the Weser Stadium.
Bremen 2-1 Frankfurt
Goals: 1-0 Junuzovic (28'), 1-1 Jovic (53'), 2-1 Abraham o.g. (80')
After a fast and furious start, thoughts that the two sides would eventually settle down could not have been further from the truth. The pace never settled and both teams showed generous attacking intent, and inevitably the opening goal soon arrived. It came for the hosts with Thomas Delaney's low cross from the left met first time by Zlatko Junuzovic, who side-footed in with the aid of a deflection. Max Kruse almost doubled Bremen's lead immediately after, but Lukas Hradecky made an outstanding one-handed save to turn the ball behind. At the other end, Jiri Pavlenka then showed there were two top-drawer goalkeepers on the field as he denied both Kevin-Prince Boateng and Marius Wolf.
Luka Jovic brought Frankfurt level early in the second half, putting the finishing touch to a fine team work. Marco Fabian threaded a ball through for Boateng who, facing the corner flag, gazumped everybody with a backheeled pass into the area for Jovic, who volleyed in acrobatically. Danny Da Costa went within inches of turning the game round when he flashed a shot just wide of the far post before Bremen regained the lead. Junuzovic's cross was flicked back off David Abraham's head and Hradecky failed to keep it out as it looped down, succeeding only in helping it on into his own goal. It was a costly error as Bremen held on for all three points.
Match stats
- Werder are unbeaten in their last five Bundesliga games, their longest run of the campaign.Bremen are unbeaten at home under Florian Kohfeldt in all competitions (W7, D3).Junuzovic scored his first Bundesliga goal at the Weser Stadium in over a year. He last scored in March 2017 against Leipzig; his last and only other goal this season came at Schalke.Jovic scored in his third straight Bundesliga game.Boateng provided his first assist in a Frankfurt shirt – in his 30th appearance.Frankfurt scored an own goal for the 56th time in their Bundesliga history. Only opponents Bremen have scored more.
As it happened
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Line-ups
Bremen: Pavlenka – Gebre Selassie, Veljkovic, Moisander, Augustinsson (Friedl 25') – M. Eggestein, Bargfrede, Delaney – Belfodil (Johannsson 76'), Kruse, Junuzovic (c) (Langkamp 89')
Unused subs: Drobny, Bauer, Kainz, Rashica
Absentees: Zetterer (wrist), Bartels (Achilles), Gondorf (fitness after appendix op.), Manneh (ligament damage), Eilers (knee)
Coach: Florian Kohfeldt
Frankfurt: Hradecky – Russ (Falette 76'), Hasebe, Abraham (c) – Da Costa, de Guzman, Boateng, Chandler (Tawatha 65') – Wolf – Rebic (Fabian 39'), Jovic
Unused subs: Zimmermann, Barkok, Haller, Fernandes
Absentees: Salcedo (collarbone), Mascarell (foot), Meier (fitness)
Coach: Niko Kovac
Watch: Boateng on Frankfurt's "unlucky" defeat
As it happened