Bundesliga
1:30 p.mApril 12, 2026
Regular season – 29
RheinEnergieSTADION
Referee: Tobias Reichel, Germany
1. FC Cologne
Werder Bremen
Turn off the spoiler to see match stats
3.47
Expected Goals (xG)
0.92
Passing by
435 (89%)
Accurate passes
280 (80%)
Turn off the spoiler to see the events of the match
1
G
Marvin Schwabe (C)
6.9
32
d
Christopher Lund
7.2
39
d
Cenk Özkaçar
7.0
d
Jahmai Simpson-Pusey
83′ missing
28
d
Sebastian Sebulonsen
6.7
16
M
Jakub Kamiński
7.7
M
Eric Martel
90+1′ missingM
Ísak Bergmann Jóhannesson
90+7′
29
M
Jan Thielmann
6.9
F
Ragnar Ache
65′
71′ Stumbled
30
G
My Backhaus
7.6
2
d
Olivier Deman
6.9
d
Marco Friedl (C)
24′ missingd
Amos Pieper
90′ Unsportsmanlike conduct
3
d
Yukinari Sugawara
6.7
M
Leonardo Bittencourt
78′ missing
14
M
Senne Lynen
6.9
27
M
Felix Agu
6.9
M
Roman Schmidt
75′
17
M
Marc Grüll
6.3
11
F
Justin Njinmah
7.0
Bundesliga classification – Bundesliga
Qualification/Relegation
- Champions League
- UEFA Europa League
- Conference League Standings
- Relegation Playoffs
- descent
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 most of the game.
Going into the RheinEnergieSTADION, both sides needed points to move away from the lower tiers of the Bundesliga. Köln sat 15th, desperate to distance themselves from the relegation zone, while Bremen finished just one point ahead in 14th.
The hosts started with intent. In the 7th minute, S. El Mala got close to the scoreboard and calmly converted a penalty to give Köln an early 1-0.
Disaster for the visitors in the 24th minute. M. Friedl received a straight red card, reducing Bremen to ten men and forcing them to defend in depth for the rest of the game.
Despite the man disadvantage, Bremen managed to thwart Köln’s attack for much of the first half. The home side held onto the ball but struggled to find a second goal before the break.
The second half forced Bremen to play, while Köln tried to exploit the gaps. The home side kept their cool, patiently working the ball around the field to wear down the visitors.
R. Ache doubled the lead in the 65th minute, making it 2-0. The goal seemed to seal the result, although the Bremen ten refused to give up.
The visitors found a lifeline in the 75th minute when R. Schmid converted a penalty to halve the lead. Suddenly, the last quarter of an hour became a tense affair for the home fans.
Köln eventually restored their two-goal cushion in stoppage time. I. Johannesson scored in the 90th+7th minute to seal a 3-1 win, capping off a dominant performance.
The stats 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 score respectable despite constant pressure. Ultimately, the man advantage proved too much for the visitors.
This result provides a significant boost for Köln. They now move to 30 points, creating some breathing space in the bottom half of the table, while Bremen remain stuck on 28 points.
