Füllkrug scores twice as Werder beats Mainz 3-2 and climbs to sixth in the Bundesliga

Füllkrug's double sends Werder up the table

Niclas Füllkrug scored twice from the penalty spot as Werder Bremen beat FSV Mainz 05 3-2 on 24 October. Both goals were penalties, his seventh and eighth league goals of the season, and they extended his run of scoring in consecutive Bundesliga matches to six. The first penalty came early in the first half, and the second, in the 25th minute, put Werder 2-0 ahead. The win lifts Werder to sixth place with 12 points, and the team has now gone six matches unbeaten. Füllkrug is also chasing the Werder record of Rudi Völler, who scored in seven successive league games in the 1982/83 season, before Völler became the DFB's sporting director.

Mainz's home form stalls

Mainz have now lost three home league matches in a row, the fourth home game of the season has also gone against them. Anthony Caci headed the hosts back into the match in the 33rd minute, and Jae-Sung Lee made it 2-3 in the 63rd, but Ludovit Reis had restored Werder's two-goal lead in the 61st minute. Mainz have not won a home league match since March, although they have won all three of their away games this season. Philipp Tietz and Phillipp Mwene both had chances before the break, and Mwene narrowly missed an equaliser in the 40th minute. Urs Fischer's side is still waiting for its first home win of the campaign.

Klopp and Thioune weigh in on Füllkrug

Earlier in the week, national team coach Jürgen Klopp had voiced reservations, with a smile, about the striker's age. Klopp put it this way:

“He scores one goal after another, but he is 33. That is not my fault.”

Werder coach Daniel Thioune answered the criticism by praising the forward's current form and standing.

“Füllkrug currently belongs to the best German strikers.”

Füllkrug then answered on the pitch, converting both penalties and keeping Werder's run going.

Results elsewhere on matchday seven

RB Leipzig returned to their home form with a 4-0 win over newly promoted SV Elversberg, eased some pressure on coach Martin Demichelis, and followed heavy defeats at Bayern Munich (1-6) and in Madrid (1-4). Tidiam Gomis (48th minute), Romulo (66th and 90+4) and Christoph Baumgartner (84th) scored, and Leipzig have an 18:0 goal record in four home matches this season. In Paderborn, Rayan Philippe scored in the 88th minute to give SC Paderborn a 1-0 win over Hamburger SV, the club that had loaned him to Paderborn during the summer. The result ended HSV's run of three straight wins. At Augsburg, former Augsburg defender Felix Uduokhai was sent off in the 19th minute, and Juma Bah received a red card for Augsburg in the 63rd. Han-Noah Massengo put Augsburg ahead in the 71st minute and Janik Haberer equalised three minutes later, so the match ended 1-1. Union Berlin collected points for the third match in a row but dropped to 17th after Paderborn's win. Cologne and Schalke drew 0-0 in the other fixture.