BERLIN (AP) — Berlin-born teenager Patrice Čović scored his first Bundesliga goal on Sunday, helping Werder Bremen escape the relegation zone with a 4-1 away victory over 10-a-side Union Berlin.
Čović, an 18-year-old who came through Hertha Berlin’s youth set-up, went into stoppage time with the game already won and easily scored two minutes later.
Hertha fans must have cheered wildly at this goal. Čović’s father, Ante Čović, coached him through the youth teams and in the first team during a tumultuous 2019 before being replaced by Jurgen Klinsmann. Hertha currently belongs to the second division.
Bremen won two consecutive games for the first time this season. New director Daniel Tiune We started with 3 losses.
“As a team we had to put up with a lot, and the fans had to put up with a lot,” Tiune said.
The win moves the team up three places to 13th place, three points behind Union, who are one of the many clubs at risk of relegation in 2026 with just one win.
Union got off to a strong start with Derrick Corne scoring an early penalty against his former club.
However, the game moved a minute later when Union’s Andras Schäfer was shown a red card for a foul on Jens Stage’s leg. There was no VAR intervention, but a yellow card seemed more appropriate.
“It’s frustrating to work so hard week in and week out and to be let down by a decision like that,” Union captain Rani Khedira said. He might play for Tunisia soon..
Bremen had two chances, but Olivier Deman equalized in the 31st minute with a brilliant shot into the top left corner, and four minutes earlier Stage had put Bremen ahead with a header.
Thion made two changes at half-time, removing a reserved player, and the team hit the post early in the second half and continued to push.
In the 66th minute, Marko Grül made it 3-1 for Bremen, with Čovic scoring the winning goal.
Eintracht Frankfurt drew 0-0 with St. Pauli at the start of the match, with St. Pauli hitting the post twice in the first half, making luck smile on their side.
The points were not enough to keep St. Pauli out of the relegation zone, as Bremen’s victory put them ahead of Cologne, Mainz and St. Pauli.
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