Werder finish training camp with draw

Werder draw 2-2 with FC St. Gallen after a late goal

Show Matchcenter

Christian Groß slides in and attempts to win the ball.

Christian Groß appeared in the second half against St. Gallen (photo: WERDER.DE).

Match Report

Sunday, 08.01.2023 / 17:48

SV Werder let a 2-0 lead slip and finished their training camp in Murcia with a 2-2 draw. After a difficult start, the Green-Whites picked up and were playing better from the middle of the first half onwards and were able to take a 2-0 lead with goals from Oliver Burke (17’) und Leonardo Bittencourt (25’) after some attractive football. At half time, head coach Ole Werner made lots of personnel changes. In the second half, St Gallen were clinical in front of goal and managed to grab an equaliser in additional time.

Line-up and formation: As usual for friendlies, Ole Werner made plenty of changes in comparison to the team who played against Murcia. The head coach also made some enforced changes. Only centre-back Amos Pieper played the full 90, with SVW making a number of changes both at half time and then once again with an hour played. The formation remained unchanged over the 90 minutes, with three-at-the-back and two men upfront.

First half line-up: Pavlenka – Jung, Pieper, Stage, Ducksch, Weiser, Burke, Bittencourt, Veljkovic, Gruev und Friedl.

Second half line-up: Zetterer – Stark, Berger, Dietrich, Salifou, Schmidt, Dinkci, Mbom, Groß und Chiarodia.

St. Gallen have the first chances, Werder answer with double salvo

Leonardo Bittencourt scores to make it 2-0 after good work from Jens Stage (photo: WERDER.DE).

First half highlights:

10’: Pavlenka’s goal is breached for the first time. Former Stuttgart player Chadrac Akolo managed to break free of the Green-White defence after a through ball and slid the ball into the bottom right-hand corner. Luckily for Werder, the striker was just offside.

17‘: Goal for SVW! And finally Werder take the lead! After some attractive combinations on the right-had side, Oliver Burke is found in the box from a pull-back. The Scottish forward doesn’t waste any time in finishing and making it 1-0.

25‘: Goal! Bittencourt doubles the lead! Jens Stage drives through midfield and runs at the defence. He has options, with Burke to his right and Bittencourt to the left. Stage finds Bittencourt, who gladly slots home past goalkeeper Zigi to make it 2-0.

28‘: Now Werder are really purring. Oliver Burke receives the ball in midfield are runs at the St. Gallen goal from the right-hand side. This time, though, Lawrence Zigi is equal to his effort and is able to save his shot which was heading towards the left-hand corner.

35’: Werder keep pushing for another goal. This time Leonardo Bittencourt takes aim with his weaker left foot . His shot has plenty of power and is well-placed towards the bottom right corner, but Zigi is alert to the danger and makes a good save, parrying the ball wide.

Werder ring the changes, St. Gallen find a late equaliser

SVW conceded a later equaliser in a competitive second half (photo: W.DE).

Second half highlights:

48‘: Alvez pulls one back. Alvez is able to carry the ball through the midfield unopposed. With no one pressing him on the edge of the box, the St. Gallen substitute takes aim and fires a well-placed effort past Michael Zetterer into the bottom right corner.

59’: Brilliant play from Eren Dinkci! Werder create their first threatening opportunity of the second half and almost go 3-1 up. Eren Dinkci beats a man in the penalty area, but Lukas Watkowiak manages to extend a right leg to prevent the effort.

75’: Almost a dream goal for Manuel Mbom. After a combination on the left-hand side, Dikeni Salifou finds himself in space and crosses for the advancing Manuel Mbom. Unfortunately, his finish is not placed well enough and he misses to the right-hand side of the goal.

82‘: Almost an equaliser! Ndombasi finds himself in space in the Werder box and shoots. Luckily for Werder, Niklas Stark was alert to the situation and throws himself at the shot. Head coach Ole Werner makes his frustrations at the lax defending known.

90+1’: Equaliser in additional time. Werder had seemed to take control of the game again, but St. Gallen somehow find a way through. Ndombasi is released in the box, and Christian Groß is too late to make an effective tackle. Michael Zetterer is unable to do anything to stop a powerful finish.

90+3’: The game ends 2-2 at the Pinatar Arena. After a good performance in the first time with SVW clinical finishing, FC St. Gallen showed themselves to be just as clinical in the second half, and scored in additional time to tie the game up at two goals apiece.

Match reaction

Head coach Ole Werner: "It's a bit frustrating, because we would have liked to end the training camp with a win. The main thing was to see that we're back in our rhythm, and that was the case in both halves. The performance was also fine. Clearly these kind of problems with coordination can happen when we changes things around so much."

Marco Friedl: “First of all, you saw there that the training camp has already had an effect on us. We found our feet in the game after the first 15 minutes, and were the better team. We didn't kick on in the second half like we thought we would. Nevertheless, we have to pull the game our way. When you concede such a late equaliser you are obviously disappointed.”

Oliver Burke: "It was really important for me to get on the scoresheet, I'm happy about that. The training camp has been very important for us to regain our fitness after this long break. Games like this one today are also there to help with that."

Leonardo Bittencourt: "After an intensive week I don’t completely know how to sum up that game. We saw a lot of things that were good, but we also would have liked to have won the game. Conceding an equaliser at the death is never fun, of course. But ok – it is a friendly, we don’t have to place too much value on it.