Bremen end Stuttgart curse with super strikes

Stuttgart 0-2 Bremen
Goals: 0-1 Stage 59', 0-2 Ducksch 77' (assist: Füllkrug)

Having dropped into the division's bottom three following a victory for fellow-relegation strugglers Bochum on Saturday, Stuttgart new a response was needed against a revitalised Bremen side. The hosts started brightly. Serhou Guirassy - who would hobble out of this game in the first half - and Chris Führich kept goalkeeper Jiri Pavlenka on his toes. Werder's last two away games had seen Ole Werner's team ship a combined total of 13 goals against Bayern Munich and Cologne and the River Islanders were keen to stop that rot at the Mercedes-Benz Arena. Die Grün-Weißen slowly came out of their shells here and carved several openings before Ducksch's free kick narrowly missed the target. At the other end Pavlenka denied Führich once again, sending the teams in goalless at the break.

Werder ended a four-match losing sequence with an impressive win against Wolfsburg last weekend, when Niclas Füllkrug was twice on target. The Bundesliga's leading marksman was involved in his side's opener shortly before the hour mark here. Eyeing a looping Pavlenka kick-out, the Germany international battled his way into space. The Stuttgart defence desperate to intervene, Konstantinos Mavropanos stepped forth. However, the defender's poked clearance ran straight to Jens Stage who hoisted a first-time finish high past Florian Müller's despairing hand. Prior to this encounter, the visitors were winless against VfB in six games, losing four. When Marvin Ducksch played a neat-one-two with Füllkrug before swooshing a superbly-flighted strike from the left of the area into the top-right hand corner, Bremen had finally broken Stuttgart's spell.

• This was the 108th Bundesliga meeting between these sides.
• Jens Stage's 59th opener came via the first shot of the second half for either team.
• It was summer signing Stage's first Bundesliga goal.
• Stuttgart have now conceded seven long-range goals this term, more than any other team.
• Ducksch's fourth Bundesliga goal this season came in his 50th appearance in the German top flight.
• Werder have always won in the Bundesliga this season when Ducksch has been on target.
• Amos Pieper leads the way in terms of yellow cards this season, the Werder man having been booked seven times.

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Stuttgart: Müller - Anton, Mavropanos, Ito, Nartey (Sosa 70') - Haraguchi, Karazor, Endo (c) - Perea (Gil Dias 46') Guirassy (Pfeiffer 25'), Führich (Kastanaras 70')
Unused subs: Bredlow, Zagadou, Stenzel, Vagnoman, Egloff
Out: Silas (calf), Tomas (stomach)
Coach: Bruno Labbadia

Bremen: Pavlenka - Pieper (Veljkovic 79'), Stark, Friedl (c) - Stage (Salifou 90'+4), Bittencourt, Groß, Schmidt (Gruev 70'), Jung (Buchanan 90'+4)- Füllkrug, Ducksch (Dinkci 79')
Unused subs: Zetterer, Chiarodia, Berger
Out: Agu (patella tendon), Mbom (calf), Schmid (knee), Weiser (suspended)
Coach: Ole Werner