Werder Bremen secured their first win of the Bundesliga season by beating RB Leipzig 3-1 at home, ending the visitors’ momentum after their opening-day victory over Borussia Monchengladbach.
RB Leipzig had begun the campaign impressively, defeating Borussia Monchengladbach 3-0 on home soil. Their reward was a trip to Bremen in the second round, where they were expected to build on that result. Instead, Werder made the faster start and took the lead after only four minutes.
The opening goal came when Dinkci was released through on goal. The Werder attacker kept his composure in a one-on-one situation and finished the chance to give the hosts an early advantage.
That early setback prompted RB Leipzig to take control of possession and territory. The visitors, known as the “Bulls”, spent much of the match searching for a way back into the contest, while Werder Bremen were able to play from their lead and concentrate on protecting their advantage.
The approach worked for the hosts. Werder remained a threat despite Leipzig’s greater initiative and added a second goal in the middle of the second half.
The goal followed a corner, with Fullkrug meeting the delivery and powering a header towards goal from around 13 or 14 metres. It was a forceful finish and gave Leipzig’s goalkeeper little chance of making a save.
With the visitors needing two goals to recover, Werder found another opening late in the match. On 80 minutes, Grull reacted first after the ball had rebounded and used his body well before striking from approximately 15 metres. His effort was well placed and beat the goalkeeper, putting Bremen 3-0 ahead.
RB Leipzig did manage to score a consolation goal before the final whistle, but they could not mount a genuine comeback. Werder held on to complete a convincing 3-1 victory.
The result gives Bremen three points after two Bundesliga matches. RB Leipzig also have three points from their opening two games, meaning the teams are level on points despite taking very different routes to their latest result.
For Werder, the victory provided a strong response after the opening stage of the season and rewarded their ability to make the most of decisive moments. Leipzig, meanwhile, were unable to repeat the attacking effectiveness that had produced a three-goal win against Borussia Monchengladbach in their previous match.