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Hannover (dpa) - Werder Bremen ended what was probably the most nerve-wracking year in their club's history with a convincing victory in the DFB Cup.
With a 3-0 (2-0) win in the north duel at the second division club Hannover 96, the six-time cup winner made it to the second round of his favorite competition on Wednesday evening.
Theodor Gebre Selassie (30th minute), Joshua Sargent (32nd) and Jean-Manuel Mbom (60th) rewarded a clear performance by the Bundesliga club with their goals.
At the back Werder hardly allowed anything and at the front they were much more dangerous than the ambitious but disappointing second division from Lower Saxony, as so often this season.
In the DFB-Pokal, Bremen are now one of the last 16, in the Bundesliga with a lead of eight points on a direct relegation place in the next year.
For the extremely turbulent 2020, in which the club almost relegated and was hit particularly hard by the loss of income from the Corona crisis, this is a conciliatory conclusion.
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Werder had to do without the two defenders Ömer Toprak (hit on the Achilles tendon) and Marco Friedl (thigh problems) for a short time in this game.
For them, captain Niklas Moisander and Milos Veljkovic were used.
Both were rarely challenged on the defensive and therefore let off steam further up front.
The veteran Moisander from Finland, who is rarely considered this season, prepared the second Bremen goal with his beautiful solo.
The same was true for right-back Gebre Selassie, who had the best chance of the game until then (27th).
Shortly after the break, Werder's loan player Tahith Chong missed a double chance to make it 3-0 (48th).
That kept the now somewhat brash hosts in the game for a few minutes.
Because shortly afterwards Timo Hübers missed the first good opportunity for Hanover after a corner kick (51.).
A little later everything was decided.
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Both teams don't have much time to relax.
They have to be back on the training ground on Monday.
The Christmas break in this Corona year is only "a long weekend," said Werder coach Florian Kohfeldt.
Homepage of Hannover 96
The DFB Cup at dfb.de
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Homepage of Werder Bremen
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