Daring to try – and daring to fail – gives Werder Bremen cause for optimism | Andy Brassell


A stylish victory over Bayer Leverkusen has confirmed that Florian Kohfeldt has given Werder’s fans reason to dream

It was the sort of result that, when it happened, appeared to be a curio but as time has gone past, it looks more and more like a season turning point. When Bayer Leverkusen visited Werder Bremen in late October they were on little more than a hiding-to-nothing. Mired in lower-mid-table and led by an unpopular coach, they were facing a side on the crest of a wave – and one who could, with a victory, have finished the weekend in second place in the Bundesliga.

It didn’t turn out like that. In a rarity amid an uninspired first half of the season under Heiko Herrlich, Leverkusen fired and then some. The 6-2 victory didn’t turn out to be the launchpad for Herrlich to draw the best from his talented team on a regular basis, as a quick glance at Peter Bosz on the Leverkusen bench now will tell you. It was the moment, however, where the air was let out of Werder’s tyres. They won just one more game – against then-struggling Fortuna Düsseldorf – before mid-January.

Related: European roundup: Marco Reus sends Dortmund top with nailbiting late show

Sancho x Reus

Dortmund fought back from 2-1 down to claim a huge win in Berlin right at the death!

Incredible drama at the top of the Bundesliga pic.twitter.com/JRZzLCeq35

Sweets make everything better

Schalke manager Huub Stevens berates the fourth official, feels bad about it, gives him a sweet, has a laugh pic.twitter.com/KwsqK25iah

Mönchengladbach 1-1 Freiburg, Hertha Berlin 2-3 Dortmund, Wolfsburg 5-2 Fortuna Düsseldorf, Stuttgart 1-1 Hoffenheim, Schalke 0-1 Leipzig, Augsburg 3-1 Hannover, Bayern Munich 6-0 Mainz, Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0 FC Nurnberg, Bayer Leverkusen 1-3 Werder Bremen

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