1. FC Köln survive late fightback to see off ten-man Werder Bremen

1. FC Köln survive late fightback to see off ten-man Werder Bremen

René Wagner’s side looked in complete control after goals from Said El Mala and Ache, with Bremen’s task made even tougher by Marco Friedl’s first-half red card. Although Romano Schmid’s late penalty gave the visitors hope, Köln held firm before Isak Jóhannesson added gloss to the scoreline at the death.

With just a point separating the sides heading into the contest, Köln made the ideal start. Jakub Kamiński was brought down by Olivier Deman inside the area, leaving the referee with little hesitation in awarding a penalty. El Mala stepped up confidently, sending Mio Backhaus the wrong way to notch his 11th league goal of the season.

Bremen were beginning to grow into the game, but their momentum was abruptly halted midway through the first half. A misplaced pass was seized upon by Ache, who surged towards goal before being brought down by Friedl as the last man. The Werder captain saw red, leaving his side with a mountain to climb.

Despite Köln’s control, Bremen managed to limit the damage to just one goal before the break, giving themselves a foothold heading into the second half.

The hosts thought they had doubled their advantage just minutes after the restart when substitute Alessio Castro-Montes finished neatly past Backhaus, only for VAR to rule the effort out for a marginal offside.

Bremen showed signs of life shortly after, as Senne Lynen connected sweetly with a half-volley from the edge of the box, but Marvin Schwäbe was equal to it, producing a strong save.

Köln eventually made their numerical advantage count on 65 minutes. Castro-Montes delivered a dangerous corner that was headed against the post by Özkacar, with the rebound falling kindly to Ache. His initial effort was denied by Backhaus, but the forward reacted quickest to convert at the second attempt and double the lead.

The visitors were handed a lifeline with 15 minutes remaining when Ache turned from hero to culprit, conceding a penalty after bringing down Deman. Following a VAR check, Schmid stepped up and converted with composure to set up a tense finale.

To Bremen’s credit, they pushed forward in search of an equaliser, but with a man down they struggled to create clear openings. Köln remained dangerous on the counter and ultimately put the result beyond doubt in stoppage time, as Jóhannesson finished smartly at the near post to cap off a decisive win.

The victory marks Köln’s first in nine matches and their first under Wagner, lifting them to 13th place and five points clear of St. Pauli in the relegation play-off spot. Bremen, meanwhile, slip to 15th after a second consecutive defeat.