Werder Bremen were eliminated from the DFB-Pokal in the first round on Saturday as they lost to VfL Osnabrück 2-0 at the Stadion an der Bremer Brücke.

Goals at the end of each half were enough to see Osnabrück go through, as Maurice Trapp first headed home before Sven Köhler chipped the goalkeeper from distance. Bremen weren’t absolutely woeful on the day, to be fair, but they just couldn’t find the back of the net, and that’s what cost them a spot in the next round.

Story of the match

The away side had a good chance to open the scoring in the early stages. A wonderful pass played Eren Dinkçi through, but he couldn’t finish off the move as his powerful strike was saved by the goalkeeper.

Osnabrück nearly went in front moments later. Michael Zetterer failed to deal with a corner properly, which allowed Lukas Gugganig to get a head on the cross from close range. He wasn’t able to capitalize on the error, though, as he only headed the ball off of the crossbar and out of play.

They did take the lead right before the break, and it came courtesy of another corner. The initial ball was flicked-on towards the back post by Gugganig, who managed to pick out his centre-back partner Maurice Trapp. He did the rest, heading home from just a few yards out.

Bremen made a flying start to the second half, creating two early opportunities. However, neither were converted, as Niclas Füllkrug failed to find the back of the net with either of his two headed attempts. 

They continued to pile on the pressure, but the next goal would be scored by Osnabrück, who sealed the result in the process. Bremen had sent their goalkeeper forward in the final few minutes, which meant that he had to race back when his side lost possession. He couldn’t get back in time, though, and Sven Köhler chipped him from distance to clinch a spot in the next round for the hosts.

Takeaways

Trying to find a stream of a first-round DFB-Pokal tie between a team in the 2. Bundesliga and a team in the 3. Liga is not easy.

Niclas Füllkrug has absolutely no confidence at the moment, and it’s really hurting his play. It seems like he can’t buy a goal, as he missed two huge chances in this game. That cost Bremen at the end of the day, and if they want to achieve their true target of promotion, then they’ll likely need him to start scoring sooner rather than later.

Die Werderaner were the better side, to be fair. They had most of the ball, and they created more opportunities, but they just couldn’t finish when it mattered most. That shouldn’t take away anything from Osnabrück, though, as they made the most of the opposition’s wastefulness. Whether or not this is the beginning of a cup run for them remains to be seen, but for now, they’ll certainly be celebrating the big win.

Man of the match - Maurice Trapp

A clean sheet and the game-winning goal is what every defender dreams of going into a game, and that’s exactly what Maurice Trapp was able to pull off here.

Grabbing the opener right before the break, his header was a simple enough one since he was so close to goal, but he deserves credit for being at the right place at the right time and for converting the chance. He then got the job done defensively, even if he was bailed out by Bremen’s woeful finishing on a number of occasions.

Trapp was one of many Osnabrück players who had a solid showing on the day, but his impact on both sides of the pitch puts him just a bit above the rest.

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