SV Werder Bremen fell to a 4-0 defeat in the first of their two friendlies against Coventry City on Saturday, 3rd August. Goals from Justin Obikwu (7’), Fabio Tavares (20’, 67’), and Elliot Betjemann (28’) saw the Championship side come out on top, with the match played behind closed doors.
Line-up and formation: Head coach Ole Werner named Leonardo Bittencourt as the captain for the first friendly, with the aim being to give as many players as possible minutes across both matches.
First-half highlights:
7th minute: The hosts take the lead with their first chance of the game, as Justin Obikwu nets the opener.
18th minute: Werder look to break through down the left flank via Olivier Deman. After having a cross blocked, he looks to put his second attempt on target but is denied by goalkeeper Wilson. The rebound falls to Justin Njinmah, but his shot is also saved. Grüll is also able to get a foot to the ball, as Werder’s third attempt in a matter of minutes is blocked.
20th minute: After a loss of possession in midfield, Fabio Tavares is able to drive towards goal and slots home into the bottom left corner. 2-0 to Coventry.
28th minute: Harvey Broad lays the ball off to Tavares at the edge of the box, who back heels it to Elliot Betjemann. He’s able to add a third for Coventry from around 17 metres out.
39th minute: Deman is able to float a cross into the box, where Njinmah is waiting to strike. His first-time attempt goes over the bar, however.
Second-half highlights:
53rd minute: Deman finds Njinmah for a one-two on the edge of the box, but the Belgian is unlucky to only hit the woodwork.
67th minute: Coventry remain clinical in front of goal, with Aidan Dausch playing a low ball across the face of goal. Tavares is waiting to tap in his second of the game.
78th minute: Njimah is able to get a shot off from the centre of the park, but it only rattles the crossbar.
88th minute: Njinmah breaks down the left flank and picks out Yuval Ranon, who lays it off for Bittencourt. Werder’s number 10 has his shot blocked, but it falls back to Njimnah. His attempt goes wide of the target.
90th minute +4: The final whistle goes, as SVW fall to a 4-0 defeat in their first friendly of the day against Coventry City. The second match will kick off later today, at 16:00 CEST.
Summary: SV Werder struggled to gain a foothold in the match, while their opponents were clinical in front of goal. Coventry raced into a three-goal lead in the opening half, with Werder unsuccessfully seeking to cut the deficit. The Green-Whites were also unfortunate to be denied by the woodwork on two occasions.
SV Werder: Backhaus - Salifou, Malatini, Röcker - Opitz, Alvero, Deman (67’ Imasuen) - Hansen-Aarøen, Bittencourt - Njinmah, Grüll (78’ Ranon)
Goals: 1-0 Obikwu (7’), 2-0 Tavares (20’), 3-0 Betjemann (28’), 4-0 Tavares (67’)
Spectators: The match took place behind closed doors.
