Ermedin Demirovic goal enough for Augsburg in Bremen
Ermedin Demirovic scored the only goal and Rafal Gikiewicz saved a stoppage-time penalty as Augsburg picked up their second win of the Bundesliga season with victory away to Werder Bremen.
Werder Bremen 0-1 Augsburg
Goals: 0-1 Demirovic 63' (assist: Berisha)
Augsburg started brightly as Florian Niederlechner rounded Jiri Pavlenka, only to stumble over his attempted finish. Maximilian Bauer sent a header off Niclas Füllkrug and wide, before Werder lost Pavlenka to injury. Füllkrug headed in a Marvin Ducksch free-kick with Werder’s only meaningful attempt of the first half, but what would have been his league-leading sixth goal of the campaign was ruled out upon VAR review. Elvis Rexhbecaj warmed the palms of Bremen substitute Michael Zetterer, who was forced into a more unconventional intervention - a diving header - to thwart Andre Hahn soon after.
Augsburg continued to force the issue after the restart as Mergim Berisha launched a speculative long-range effort into row M. Zetterer intervened at the feet of Niederlechner, before the visitors forged ahead. Berisha skipped the offside trap to collect a raking long ball from Carlos Gruezo, and Demirovic reacted quickest to the ensuing near-post cross with a smart left-footed finish. After Berisha rattled the woodwork, Gikiewicz preserved Augsburg's lead by stopping Niklas Schmidt, with Füllkrug lashing the rebound wide. Ducksch had the chance to rescue a point from the spot, but Gikiewicz guessed right as Werder failed to score for the first time this season.
Watch: Rafal Gikiewicz: "I get better with age!"
Match stats
- Augsburg kept a clean sheet for the first time this season.
- Ducksch is without a Bundesliga goal in 2022/23. He has gone 12 top-flight games without scoring, going back to January 2019.
- Bremen had scored at least twice in every Bundesliga game prior to the fixture.
- Demirovic scored his second Bundesliga goal of 2022/23. That's as many goals as he got in 31 games for Freiburg last season.
- Berisha had a hand in a Bundesliga goal for the first time, on only his second appearance in the German top flight.
- Nineteen of the 11 Bundesliga meetings between Augsburg and Bremen have produced a winner, including 11 for Die Fuggerstädter.
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Teams
Bremen: Pavlenka (Zetterer 29') - Pieper, Veljkovic, Friedl (c) - Weiser, Schmid (Burke 67'), Groß (Gruev 67'), Stage (Schmidt 67'), Jung (Buchanan 86') - Füllkrug, Ducksch
Unused subs: Agu, Stark, Goller, Rapp
Out: Bittencourt (ribs), Dinkci (match fitness), Mbom (Achilles), Salifou (abductor)
Coach: Ole Werner
Augsburg: Gikiewicz - Bauer, Gouweleeuw (c), Gumny - Hahn, Gruezo, Rexhbecaj, Iago - Niederlechner (Maier 78'), Demirovic (Jensen 70'), Berisha (Caligiuri 90'+7)
Unused subs: Klein, Framberger, Pedersen, Baumgartlinger, Petrov, Vargas
Out: Dorsch (metatarsal), Oxford (knee), Sarenren Bazee (cruciate ligament), Strobl (knee), Uduokhai (ankle), Winther (muscular)
Coach: Enrico Maaßen
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