Werder Bremen squander home win against Frankfurt
A new international was not enough. Despite another goal from Marvin Ducksch, Werder Bremen squandered a 2:2 (1:0) lead against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga.
Frankfurt equalized within ten minutes with goals from Ellyes Skhiri (65th minute) and Hrvoje Smolcic (75th). They extended their unbeaten run to eight competitive matches.
Two days after his first international call-up, Ducksch had put Bremen ahead with a penalty (45.+1). His strike partner Rafael Borré made it 2-0 in the 49th minute, without breaking out into jubilation afterwards. The 28-year-old Colombian international was only on loan from Frankfurt.
Although they let the win slip from their grasp, Bremen continued to take small steps away from the relegation places and enjoyed the attention that another striker brought them two and a half months after the sale of Niclas Füllkrug to Borussia Dortmund: the 29-year-old late starter Ducksch.
At Borussia Dortmund, SC Paderborn and Fortuna Düsseldorf, he once failed to establish himself as a first division striker. At Werder, however, Ducksch has already scored 16 Bundesliga goals in less than a year and a half since promotion in 2022.
Ducksch always in focus
Against Frankfurt, it was also clear to see what his club coach Ole Werner and national coach Julian Nagelsmann apparently see in him: not only a confident and strong-shooting attacker, but also a very intelligent player.
Time and again, Ducksch eluded the guard of his angular and also 1.88-meter-tall opponent William Pacho by dropping to the wings or into midfield. In this way, he created some space for himself and came closer to scoring the first goal of the game almost by the minute at the end of the first half.
In the 40th minute, he was unable to control a fine assist from Borré in the penalty area. Shortly afterwards, his shot from 16 meters merely flew towards the upper tier of the stands behind the goal (41'). In stoppage time, Ducksch nevertheless grabbed the ball after Ansgar Knauff had fouled Jens Stage and converted the spot-kick with aplomb.
Eintracht only dangerous after the break
Werder's convincing performance, at least for an hour, was not only based on the increasingly harmonizing striker duo, but also on very concentrated and consistent defensive work. Frankfurt were the better team in footballing terms. However, Bremen left them little room for their combination play.
Eintracht only became dangerous after the break when Knauff shot over the goal from close range (55'). By then it was clear to the 21-year-old that this was not his day. In the 45th minute he conceded a penalty, in the 55th he missed a huge chance, in the 64th he was substituted and in the 65th his team began their race to catch up.
Frankfurt were clearly superior in the second half. In the end, however, both teams had the 3:2 on their feet. Eintracht's best chance was again missed by Skhiri (83'). Ducksch failed to score for Werder in the 90th minute.
Despite the loss, Werder Bremen's new international Ducksch continued to impress, showcasing his intelligence and versatility in attack against Bundesliga rival Eintracht Frankfurt. Later in the Bundesliga, Werder Bremen and Eintracht Frankfurt will look to build on their performances in a potential rematch.
Source: www.dpa.com
