Bremen and Köln share spoils in tense 1–1 draw | OneFootball

Werder Bremen and 1. FC Köln played out a tense 1–1 draw after a hard-fought match. Bremen dominated much of the first half, but Köln responded after halftime with tactical changes, creating more chances.

The decisive moment came in injury time when Said El Mala scored a near-post equalizer, earning Köln a deserved point and leaving Bremen frustrated in the closing minutes.

Here is our full match report:

First half:

The match began with an unfortunate moment for the visitors: defender Dominique Heintz was forced off after just 10 minutes due to a thigh injury. Köln had to reshuffle early, bringing on Rav van den Berg to stabilize the back line.

Both sides initially struggled to establish rhythm in attack. For nearly 20 minutes, clear chances were rare, with much of the play locked in midfield battles and cautious buildup on both ends.

The game finally sparked into life when Bremen’s Cuertas tried his luck from distance, unleashing a powerful long-range effort that whipped just over the crossbar. It was a warning sign - and Köln failed to respond.

From the resulting corner, Bremen made the breakthrough. Köln’s attempted clearance fell poorly, allowing Jens Stage to delicately chip a ball back into the danger zone. Captain Marco Friedl reacted quickest, rising above the crowd to nod the ball past the keeper and give the hosts a deserved 1–0 lead.

With Bremen growing in confidence and Köln dealing with both an early injury and a deficit, the second half promises to be an uphill battle for the visitors.

Second half:

Köln coach Lukas Kwasniok made two changes at halftime, determined to improve his team’s performance after a lackluster first 45 minutes. One of the substitutions, Kristoffer Lund, nearly made an immediate impact - albeit unintentionally. In the 49th minute, Lund misplayed a pass, sending Bremen’s Schmid on a 1v1 against keeper Schwäbe, who made a crucial save to keep the score level.

Bremen came close again a few minutes later when Keke Topp scored, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside. Jens Stage, celebrating his 100th Bundesliga appearance, was caught offside in the buildup, keeping Köln in the game.

The second half saw a more balanced contest, with Köln showing more initiative and Bremen maintaining control. The visitors had a few bright moments, most notably Luca Waldschmidt, whose strike in the 85th minute rattled the post. Bremen’s disciplined defensive setup kept Köln largely at bay — until injury time.

In a dramatic late twist, starboy Said El Mala brought Köln back on level terms with a precise near-post finish, delighting the visitors and forcing Bremen to settle for a draw. Despite their efforts in the final minutes, Köln could not find a winner, and the match ended 1–1.

Bremen’s Niklas Stark picked up two yellow cards in the second half and will miss next week’s game, adding another subplot to a tightly contested encounter.

Final Result: Werder Bremen 1–1 1. FC Köln