Werder Bremen vs VfL Bochum

The opening hour was a battle of attrition. Both sides prioritised safety over risk, and clear chances were scarce. Bochum's Berkan Taz saw a deflected shot sail wide (11'), before Dawid Kownacki dragged an effort past the post for Werder (18'). Christian Rasmussen rattled the Werder post with a left-footed strike from distance (30'), and Alessandro Crimaldi forced Karl Hein into a save (38').

The deadlock broke four minutes before the first-half whistle. Left-back Olivier Deman launched a long diagonal ball that split the Bochum defence. Erevbenagie, the 18-year-old Werder academy product, won the foot race against centre-back Karol Mets and slotted past Timo Horn for 1-0 (42').

Tempers flared on the stroke of half-time when Crimaldi's late challenge on Felix Agu sparked a mass confrontation. The referee issued three yellow cards — one to Agu, one to Crimaldi and a third to another Bochum player — but the scoreline remained 1-0 at the interval.

Werder coach Daniel Thioune changed almost his entire outfield lineup for the second period, with only Erevbenagie staying on. The reshuffled side lacked fluency but extended the lead in the 71st minute. Bochum defender Philipp Strompf attempted to dribble past Salim Musah inside his own penalty area; Musah stole the ball, and Strompf dragged him down. Musah stepped up to take the penalty himself, sending Horn the right way but with enough power to beat the goalkeeper's glove.

Crimaldi headed narrowly wide for Bochum (66') in what was the visitors' best second-half moment, but the game petered out thereafter as wholesale substitutions disrupted any rhythm.

The second goal killed the contest. Until the 71st minute, Bochum — unbeaten in pre-season and playing a fortnight ahead of Werder in their schedule — still had a route back into the match. Strompf's decision to dribble inside his own box rather than clear was a moment of individual error that Musah punished ruthlessly. The penalty and the resulting 2-0 cushion allowed Thioune to blood youngsters without pressure in the final 50 minutes.

Paul Erevbenagie (Werder Bremen) — The 18-year-old scored the opener with a composed finish and played the full 120 minutes, the only Werder outfielder to do so. His movement off the shoulder of the last defender caused problems all afternoon.

Salim Musah (Werder Bremen) — Won the penalty and converted it with ice-cool composure. His work rate and direct running troubled Bochum's second-string defence.

Karl Hein (Werder Bremen) — The Estonian goalkeeper was rarely called into action but made a sharp save from Crimaldi in the first half and commanded his box well. A clean sheet in his final pre-season appearance before the new Bundesliga campaign.

Alessandro Crimaldi (VfL Bochum) — The 18-year-old Bochum attacker was the visitors' brightest spark, forcing Hein into action and drawing the foul that sparked the half-time melee. His header just wide in the 66th minute was Bochum's best chance of the second period.

The provider payload recorded only the two goals and five yellow cards — a reflection of a disjointed, heavily rotated friendly rather than a fluid contest. The 2×60-minute format meant each side effectively played two different games with two different XIs, making aggregate stats (possession, shots, xG) largely meaningless. The key number is the clean sheet: Werder's second in as many Zillertal tests, suggesting Thioune's defensive structure is ahead of schedule despite the absence of World Cup participants Marco Friedl, Romano Schmid and Alexander Schlager.

For Werder Bremen, the result caps a productive training camp in Zell am Ziller. They now have two weeks until the Bundesliga season opener — a double-header of friendlies against Cottbus and another opponent is scheduled for 8 August before the competitive campaign begins.

For VfL Bochum, this was their first defeat of pre-season after wins against Rot-Weiß Oberhausen, Royal Antwerp and Swansea City, and a draw with Ajax. Coach Uwe Rösler's side host Sheffield United in their season-opening event at the Ruhrstadion on Saturday 1 August (16:00 local), before beginning their 2. Bundesliga campaign at home to Hertha BSC on Friday 7 August (20:30).

A typical pre-season friendly: low on structure, high on substitutions, and decided by two moments of individual quality. Werder's young forwards — Erevbenagie and Musah — made the difference, while Bochum will be more concerned about Strompf's lapse than the scoreline. Nothing here changes either side's outlook for the season, but Thioune will value the clean sheet and the minutes banked.