SV Werder Bremen
| 1-0 | De Bruyne | (23. Min) |
| 2-0 | Junuzovic | (34. Min) |
VfB Stuttgart
| 2-1 | Harnik | (50. Min) |
| 2-2 | Cacau | (81. Min) |
Martin Harnik
Martin Harnik
Assani Lukim Lukimya-Mulongoti
Stats 
Point earned in Bremen
Extremely dynamic, extremely intensive and extremely tight – three extremes to sum up the Bundesliga clash between VfB and Werder Bremen. In the end, the game was to finish 2-2, with VfB coming from two goals down at the break. Martin Harnik and Cacau were on target for Bruno Labbadia’s men, but the Austrian international saw a second yellow and received his marching orders before the end.
Bruno Labbadia made three chances to the side which began against Steaua Bucharest in midweek, with Shinji Okazaki filling in for the suspended Vedad Ibisevic, captain Serdar Tasci returned in place of Georg Niedermeier and Martin Harnik got the nod ahead of Tamas Hajnal.
Evenly balanced beginning
VfB were aggressive right from the start but with 23 minutes played, the visitors found themselves 0-1 down. Nils Petersen picked out Kevin de Bruyne and the Belgian slotted inside the near post to put his side in front. The set-back did little to alter the intensity of VfB’s game – with Labbadia’s men working, running and battling but unfortunately fruitlessly. With just over a half hour played, Christian Gentner picked out Shinji Okazaki with a cross but the Japanese international’s header only found the outside netting (33’).
And the miss was to be cruelly punished. Second chance of the game for Bremen, and the second goal! Nils Petersen burst into the VfB box, came out of a challenge from Maza with the ball and laid back to Zlatko Junuzovic, who made it 2-0 (34’). Again Labbadia’s side refused to drop their heads and continued to press forward but all too often the telling pass failed to find its destination and the home side took their advantage into the break.
Diashow
VfB make dynamic restart
VfB played well and had more of the ball but Bremen were the more effective, quickly pouncing on the guest’s errors. To start the second half, the VfB coach brought Ibrahima Traoré to replace Tunay Torun but it was the home side who had the first opening as Marko Arnautovic tested Sven Ulreich with a powerful drive (47’).
Ibrahima Traoré spiced up the visitors game and got a shot away in the 49th minute which didn’t test the keeper but a minute later, the Guinean international’s delivery was to lead to VfB’s second goal of the season. Martin Harnik rose highest in the box the head against the inside of the post and reduce the deficit to 1-2.
Cacau levels the scores
Ten minutes before time, Bruno Labbadia made a double change with the hoping of adding to the VfB attack. Georg Niedermeier and Cristian Molinaro were introduced in place of Shinji Okazaki and Arthur Boka. And the changes were to have a prompt effect. The central defender, who immediately joined the attack, got a shot away from a corner which Cacau redirected into the net to make it 2-2 (81’).
The guests had some luck on their side late on with an Aaron Hunt free kick floating past friend and foe but rolling just wide of the post (83’). The referee then dampened the VfB spirits by issuing Harnik a second yellow card and the subsequent red (87’). Shortly afterwards Assani Lukimya saw a direct red for a wild challenge (90’ + 1). There was to be no further changes to the score-line though, with VfB and Werder playing out a 2-2 draw.
