Hertha Berlin 1-4 Werder Bremen
Goals: 0-1 Selke (10'), 0-2 Toprak (29'), 1-2 Cordoba (45+2'), 1-3 Bittencourt (57') 1-4 Sargent (77')

Two out-of-form teams were always going to serve up a turgid affair, right? You could not be more wrong. Two penalties alone in the first half spiced up things: Davie Selke scored his after Maximilian Mittelstädt's rash challenge on Romano Schmid to give Hertha the lead. Matheus Cunha won one and then saw Jiri Pavlenka save his spot-kick as Bruno Labbadia's men, who had failed to score in their previous three league games, saw their worrying drought continue. Worse was to come when Ömer Toprak ferociously bulleted a Leonardo Bittencourt corner high into the net with a textbook header. Fortunately, Jhon Cordoba took a leaf out of the very same manual in first-half added time to give an inviting Peter Pekarik cross the emphatic response it deserved to offer the hosts hope.

They had more still when Cunha's powerful drive brought a smart save from Pavlenka soon after the restart, but Bremen were the more clinical. Maximilian Eggestein's superb chip found Bittencourt racing into the area, and his clever first touch, swivel and shot gave Bremen a two-goal cushion. Milot Rashica might have added another but Alexander Schwolow parried his fierce shot; Cunha immediately could have pulled one back but curled his effort just wide of the far post. Hertha looked like they might get back into it until Sargent span away from Matteo Guendouzi and lashed a rising shot into the net from 25 yards as Bremen matched the scoreline Hertha achieved in the season-opening encounter between the pair.

Highlights

Hertha Berlin dismiss Bruno Labbadia

Sargent stunner seals Bremen win at Hertha