1. FC Köln secured a vital 3-1 victory over Werder Bremen on Saturday, bolstered by an early penalty and a numerical advantage that lasted for most of the match.
Entering the RheinEnergieSTADION, both sides needed points to climb away from the Bundesliga's lower ranks. Köln sat 15th, desperate to distance themselves from the relegation zone, while Bremen arrived just one point ahead in 14th.
The hosts started with intent. In the 7th minute, S. El Mala stepped up to the spot and calmly converted a penalty to hand Köln an early 1-0 lead.
Disaster struck for the visitors in the 24th minute. M. Friedl received a straight red card, reducing Bremen to ten men and forcing them to defend deep for the remainder of the contest.
Despite the man disadvantage, Bremen managed to frustrate the Köln attack for much of the first half. The hosts held the ball but struggled to find a second goal before the interval.
The second half required Bremen to gamble while Köln looked to exploit the gaps. The home side maintained their composure, patiently working the ball around the pitch to wear down the visitors.
R. Ache doubled the advantage in the 65th minute, firing home to make it 2-0. The goal appeared to seal the result, though the ten men of Bremen refused to quit.
The visitors found a lifeline in the 75th minute when R. Schmid converted a penalty to cut the deficit in half. Suddenly, the final quarter-hour became a tense affair for the home supporters.
Köln eventually restored their two-goal cushion in stoppage time. I. Johannesson struck in the 90+7th minute to confirm a 3-1 win, capping off a dominant performance.
The statistics reflected Köln's control. They dominated with 58% possession and generated an expected goals (xG) figure of 3.47 compared to Bremen's 0.92. Köln fired 26 shots, with nine testing the goalkeeper.
Goalkeeper Mio Backhaus kept Bremen competitive with six saves, keeping the scoreline respectable despite the constant pressure. Ultimately, the man advantage proved too much for the visitors to overcome.
This result provides a significant boost for Köln. They now move to 30 points, creating breathing room in the bottom half of the table while Bremen remains stuck on 28 points.
