bundesliga

Supersub Mikael Ishak rescues draw for Nuremberg against Werder Bremen

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Mikael Ishak scored minutes after coming off the bench to cancel out Johannes Eggestein's opener as Nuremberg secured a much-needed share of the spoils at home to Werder Bremen.

Nuremberg 1-1 Werder Bremen

Goals: 0-1 J. Eggestein (64') 1-1 Ishak (87')

Bottom of the Bundesliga coming into the game, Nuremberg looked happy to sit back and try to hit Bremen on the counter. It was a tactic that looked like it might reap some reward when the ball fell to Matheus Pereira in the visitors' box, but the Brazilian's shot cannoned off his teammate, Virgil Misidjan. Davy Klaassen went close at the other end, forcing a save from Christian Mathenia, but most of the first-half traffic flowed in the other direction, with Adam Zrelak squandering a trio of chances to double his personal haul for the season. Der Club's best chance fell to Hanno Behrens after Tim Liebold found his captain unmarked at the back post, but he fired narrowly wide with the goal at his mercy and Robert Kampka's half-time whistle went with Bremen the more relieved to hear it, but the deadlock intact.

Florian Kohfeldt brought young strikers Josh Sargent and Johannes Eggestein on for the second half, in place of Milot Rashica and Martin Harnik, and Eggestein broke through for a one-on-one before the hour was out, but Mathenia denied him what might have been his second senior goal. The younger Eggestein brother wouldn't be denied for long, finding space in the Nuremberg box to tap in Ludwig Augustinsson's cutback. Nuremberg had the final say, though, with Ishak getting on the end of a Pereira free-kick to settle the game at 1-1.

Match stats

  • Both of Eggestein's Bundesliga goals have been scored off the bench. Older brother Maximilian remains Werder's top marksman with five.
  • Bremen remain the only side to have scored in every Bundesliga game this season.
  • Unused today, Claudio Pizarro will become the Bundesliga's oldest ever scorer when he next finds the target. The evergreen Peruvian is a day older than Mirko Votava was (40 years, 122 days) when the latter scored for Bremen against VfB Stuttgart in 1996.
  • Nuremberg are now winless in 13, although at least secured a share of the points for the first time in seven games.
  • Bremen have taken just 11 points from their last 12 Bundesliga matches.
  • Werder have won four times on the road this season - more than they did in the entire 2017/18 campaign.

Line-ups

Nuremberg: Mathenia – Valentini, Margreitter, Ewerton, Leibold (Goden 46') – Pereira, Behrens (c), Petrak, Misidjan (Kerk 67') – Palacios (Ishak 82'), Zrelak
Unused subs: Bredlow, Kubo, Jäger, Mühl
Out: Bauer (fitness), Erras (muscular), Goden (illness), Lippert (knee), Mühl (flu)
Coach: Michael Köllner

Bremen: Pavlenka – Gebre Selassie, Veljkovic, Moisander, Augustinsson – M. Eggestein, Sahin (Möhwald 84'), Klaassen – Harnik (J. Eggestein 46'), Kruse (c), Rashica (Sargent 46')
Unused subs: Kapino, Langkamp, Friedl, Pizarro
Out: Bargfrede (suspended), Bartels (illness), Beste (ankle), Johannsson (ankle), Osako (Asian Cup)
Coach: Florian Kohfeldt