Werder Bremen 2-0 TSG Hoffenheim: Füllkrug and Dinkci do the damage on the break

Werder Bremen beat TSG Hoffenheim 2-0 at the Weserstadion, taking the points with less of the ball and fewer accurate passes than the visitors. Niclas Füllkrug put the hosts ahead on 57 minutes, and substitute Eren Dinkci added a second on 82 to settle it.

Füllkrug's goal came from a long ball out of goalkeeper Karl Hein, the striker getting in behind to finish — a quick switch from defence to attack that Hoffenheim never saw coming. Dinkci, on for the closing stages, doubled the lead late on from a Marco Grüll assist.

Match facts

• 57' — Niclas Füllkrug, assisted by Karl Hein (Werder Bremen)
• 82' — Eren Dinkci, assisted by Marco Grüll (Werder Bremen)

Lineups

Bremen played a 4-2-3-1: Karl Hein in goal behind Marco Friedl, Amos Pieper, Olivier Deman, Arthur, Chuki, Youri Regeer, Ludovit Reis, Niclas Füllkrug, Marco Grüll and Mitchell Weiser, with Dariusz Stalmach, Mick Schmetgens, Eren Dinkci, Senne Lynen and Oskar Wójcik all used from the bench.

Hoffenheim set up in a 3-5-2: Oliver Baumann, Koki Machida, Mats Rots, Ozan Kabak, Wouter Burger, Andrej Kramaric, Leon Avdullahu, Adam Daghim, Natnael Abraha, Fisnik Asllani and Adam Hlozek started, with five changes made across the second half.

Form going into it

Bremen arrived unbeaten in five across all competitions — two wins and three draws, 11 scored and 9 conceded — the run including a 3-2 win at Mainz the previous round built on a first-half Füllkrug penalty double. Hoffenheim had looked sharper still, winning three of their last five, most recently a 3-0 win away at fourth-placed Bayer Leverkusen that had lifted them into the top half. That form did not carry over to Bremen.

Where the table stands

Bremen went into the round 6th on 12 points; the win takes them to 15, extending an unbeaten run that now stretches to six games in all competitions. Hoffenheim had climbed to 10th on 9 points on the back of that Leverkusen result — this defeat keeps their total at 9, with the rest of matchday 8 still to come before the positions settle.