Werder Bremen and Eintracht Braunschweig played out a disappointing 0-0 draw in the Bundesliga on Sunday afternoon at a cold and snowy Weserstadion.
In the first half the visitors were just about on top, but despite a couple of half-chances from Havard Nielsen could not break the deadlock.
In the end neither side did enough to win and both had to settle for a point. Read how the action unfolded with our live text commentary below.
Good afternoon fussball fans! The Bundesliga is back! We have two commentaries for you this afternoon. Late on is Hamburg against Schalke, but first up we have a bottom half of the table clash as Braunschweig travel to Werder.
This one should be very interesting indeed. Both sides could do with the points here, but naturally Branschweig more so being bottom of the league. Werder have only lost three of eight at home, while Braunschweig have taken just four points from 24 away.
For a while in the first half of the season Werder were looking in trouble. They went on a horrible run of form up to December, but managed a win in round 17 so they're looking a little bit more comfortable. They will certainly be targeting three points here and would move up to 10th if they get them.
It has been tough for the visitors so far, as was expected of course. When they lost their opening four games having scored just one everyone was tipping them for a record-speed return to the 2. Bundesliga. However, they have tightened up since then and are definitely in touch of at least the relegation playoff spot.
Right then, let's take a look at the two teams shall we? Just over 15 minutes until we kick off.
WERDER XI: Wolf; Gebre Selassie, Prodl, Caldirola, Garcia; Bargfrede, Kroos; Hunt, Junuzovic, Elia; Petersen
BRAUNSCHWEIG XI: Davari; Kessel, Bicakcic, Dogan, Reichel; Theuerkauf, Pfitzner, Boland, Elabdellaoui; Nielsen, Ademi
A couple of boosts in that Werder lineup for their fans. Aaron Hunt, Felix Kroos and Zlatko Junuzovic were all slight doubts before the game, but have been deemed fit enough to start. This is about as strong a home XI as they could name, and the attacking trio behind Nils Petersen will thraten.
So there's no Dominick Kumbela in the Braunschweig lineup, which is a blow. However, Orhan Ademi was looking good before the winter break and will hope that his form can continue here.
Just a minute away from kickoff then. The players are out and ready for kickoff.
KICKOFF: We're underway here as the hosts in green get us started.
Braunschweig have battled here early on to get into the game. Much of the passing has been for Bremen, but the visitors are ocmbative and have won it back on a number of occasions.
Great play there from Hunt to pick out Gebre Selassie to his right, but as the full-back looked for Eljero Elia in front of him the Dutchman was offside. Poor positioning there - he didn't need to be off.
Elia offside once more as he tried to get in down the right hand side. That time he was coming back from an off position, so there's less blame on him there - Prodl probably shouldn't have passed to him.
CHANCE! New signing Nielsen has an effort at goal for the away side after being found by Elabdellaoui, but a last-ditch block took it up and over the bar for a corner.
This has been good so far from Braunschweig, who after a little bit of early pressure are now looking comfortable on the ball. Bremen yet to create a real chance so far - Elia continues to be the outlet on the right.
It's all a little scrappy with the ball spending a lot of time in the air. Much of that is down to the away side not letting Bremen settle on the ball - they are resorting to long clearances just now.
Reichel is clipped by Kroos and Braunschweig have a free kick almost at the half-way line. They play it short and then wide to Kessel, but Wolf is out well to gather.
CHANCE! Still the visitors are doing most of the pressing and Nielsen has his second chance there. Kessel crossed and he was unmarked and probably should have done better than pick out Wolf.
Nielsen is involved with everything in attack for Braunschweig. He plays a one-two with Ademi just there, but his return pass was a bit too strong and it goes out of play.
CHANCE! A couple of chances there for the hosts. First Hunt drove through and had his effort saved, before his cut-back was drilled right at the face of Petersen and bounced off him out of play. That's the best they've played so far.
Still just the one real chance for both sides, but the game is now very even in the middle of the park. If anything, Bremen have just about taken control of it in the last few minutes and now have a bit more space in which to work.
CHANCE! Great work from Elia down the left, who spun to the line and cut to Petersen. The striker was slightly at an angle and put his shot wide of the near post - better than his last chance, that, but he was closed down well.
CHANCE! Werder are really on top here. Gebre Selassie gets in behind in the box and is found by an angled cross from Garcia, but he puts his header over the bar. Garcia is then booked for an awful late lunge. Dangerous free kick here.
It comes to nothing, before at the other end a decision goes against Hunt. Then a minute later Kroos goes into the book for a late foul. It's getting a little scrappy.
The crowd have gone a little bit quiet in what is a freezing cold afternoon in Bremen. They need something to happen on the pitch to warm them up a little. Both sides are well below 80% passing.
No further chances in what is a very tentative affair at the moment. Good defending from Kessel there, who heads behind but there's another corner following it and a bit of pressure building for the hosts.
Nielsen is back defending for the first time and he gives away a foul wide on the right. Dangerous position here for the left boot of Hunt.
It's punched away from Divari then clipped back in by Garcia. As Gebre Selassie looks to shoot from Prodl's knock-down, he goes to ground holding his knee. I didn't see a foul!
HALF TIME: Werder 0-0 Braunschweig
So it's half time and 0-0 is about right at the moment. Braunschweig were probably the better team for more of that half, with Nielsen bright, but there hasn't been nearly enough good attacking play.
It's fair to say that this one can only improve in the second 45. The team that Bremen have out should be enough, but Robin Dutt just hasn't got them firing this season.
For the hosts, Petersen hasn't been good enough. To be fair to him he has not had too many chances, but he has been too static up front with anything Werder doing well coming from Elia down the right.
The snow is really beginning to pelt down here and some is settling on the pitch. After the winter break, too... It's no wonder the football hasn't been great. But, here come the players for the second half.
Here we go then. The visitors get us back underway on what is now a slightly whiter pitch.
Early foul from Theuerkauf, who completely took out Elia on the Bremen right with what resembled a clothesline. The free kick is hacked away so he escapes.
OFF THE POST! Out of nothing, Bargfrede unleashes a strike from some 25 yards that rattles against the post. It swerved both ways and Davari was beaten all ends up. What an effort!
OFF THE LINE! Now Garcia comes close with a a far-post header from a deep cross that Elabdellaoui stoops to head away. Good start to the half from Werder.
The visitors have finally come into this half and are seeing plenty of the ball in the last few minutes. No further chances, though, as players begin to slip in the wintry conditions.
I would be surprised if there was a goal today, and we have more than 30 minutes still to play. Braunschweig are looking to attack down the right, but have not been able to get past Garcia this half.
DISALLOWED GOAL! There's a really good driven ball to the left for Hunt. The midfielder plays into Petersen, who flicks it over the top on to Elia, but as the Dutchman fires it in low he's flagged for offside. On replay that was just the wrong call, but with attacker going one way and defender the other it's a very hard decision.
The ball is spending most of the time in the middle of the park at the moment as the sides battle to take control of the match. In the end a pass from Hunt to Elia goes out of play - the passing in the final third has been frankly woeful from the hosts.
Braunschweig are making it very hard for Werder today, with a compact 451 formation and quick pressing once their opponents get into their half. They don't quite have the pace to be a threat on the break, though.
CHANCE! A couple of bites at the cherry there for Bargfrede. A corner comes out to him and his first effort is blocked, before his next is deflected into the arms of Davari.
It's beginning to get a little tense at the moment. The players on the pitch are getting a little petty, and the fans nervy as well. It's understandable as this is important for both teams.
BOOKING: Two cards apiece now, as Theuerkauf picks up his staple yellow card by bringing down Junuzovic as Werder tried to break. That's a tactical foul for the team.
BRAUNSCHWEIG SUB: Still nothing happening on the pitch, so it's a change for the visitors. Karim Bellarabi comes on for Pfitzner. A little bit more pace and directness in that sub.
The last time Braunschweig won here in the league was 1976. While that looks unlikely here they are hardly under the cosh. It's instead fizzling out into what is very likely to be a 0-0.
WERDER SUB: Yildirim comes on for Junuzuvic, who has been very poor on his return from injury. He'll improve over the coming weeks, but added very little today.
Into the final five minutes we head. In the first game between the sides Junuzovic was the late saviour for Bremen, but he's no longer on the pitch. Will there be a different hero?
Braunschweig would probably take the point at this stage, although it doesn't help their predicament a lot. It has been an encouraging performance from them, as Bellarabi gives away a foul trying to get in behind.
Gebre Selassie reads a Braunschweig break really well there to get in from right-back and in front of Ademi. Will there be a late chance in this?
There will be one minute of time added on. I'd be staggered if there was a goal now.
FULL TIME: Werder 0-0 Braunschweig
That was a largely disappointing 0-0 draw that will do little for either side. Thanks for joining me here, and I'll be back with Hamburg vs. Schalke very shortly. See you over there!
Written by
Matt Domm
Matt Domm
