Reasons to celebrate! A 2-0 win against Werder Bremen on matchday 10 in Bayer’s 1,000 th Bundesliga game brings three points that puts the Werkself top of the table.

A below strength Werder Bremen side (Diego, Pizarro and Fritz were unavailable) got off to a better start. René Adler was called on to make two saves in the opening four minutes. Bremen pressed forward early in the match and it took a while for Bruno Labbadia’s side to get into the game. The host’s best chance came from Hugo Almeida after eleven minutes. But Adler closed the Portuguese forward down and Almeida missed the target.

As the match progressed the Werkself grew in confidence and managed to push forwards from the back. This took the sting out of Werder’s game and Bayer’s quick passing game saw them move onto the attack. Just after the half hour mark Stefan Kießling fired off a warning shot but “Kies” was unable to connect properly with a Patrick Helmes pass and Bremen’s keeper Christian Vander was able to clear the danger.

The tables are turned

Helmes had two chances just before the break - Bayer were in the game. The tables finally turned in the second half. Bremen ran out of ideas against the compact approach of the Werkself. In contrast, the visitors posed an increasing threat to the Werder goal. On 69 minutes Pirmin Schwegler, once again in the starting line-up in place of Tranquillo Barnetta, had a great chance to out Bayer 04 in the lead. But the unmarked Swiss midfielder hit the rebound wide from ten yards out.

But the breakthrough came two minutes later. Barnetta, who had just come off the bench for Schwegler, hit a cross from the right to the far post. Vander parried a Helmes header to the feet of Arturo Vidal. The Chilean did not pass up the chance of scoring his third goal of the season and hit the ball into the back of the Werder net on 71 minutes. From that point the game ran in Bayer 04’s favour as in the two wins against Eintracht Frankfurt and FC Köln.

Labbadia extremely satisfied

Bremen had to take more risks, Bayer could play on the counter attack - and again rely on Adler. With nine minutes left on the clock the Germany keeper made a brilliant reflex save from Markus Rosenberg and the second goal came in the counter move. Bayer were alive to their chance from another corner and Manuel Friedrich was on hand to slot the rebound home from six yards out after Kießling had hit the post. Bremen were unable to recover from this blow.

Bayer remained solid to the final whistle and another counter attack gave the substitute Theofanis Gekas to make it 3-0 on 86 minutes. The score remained at 2-0 but that was good enough. "The way we played was great. We were solid at the back and didn’t give away many chances," declared the extremely satisfied Bayer 04 coach Labbadia.

This third win in a row puts Bayer 04 top of the table for the time being at least. The next challenge comes on Friday when VfL Wolfsburg are the visitors in the BayArena (20:30 CET kick-off). Bayer 04 would definitely welcome the opportunity to celebrate again in Bundesliga match 1,001.

Bayer 04: Adler – Castro, Friedrich, Henrique, Kadlec, Rolfes, Renato Augusto, Vidal, Schwegler, Helmes, Kießling

Werder Bremen: Vander – Prödl, Mertesacker, Naldo, Pasanen, Baumann, Frings, Hunt, Özil, Almeida, Rosenberg

Goals: 0:1 Vidal (71), 0:2 Friedrich (81)

Substitutions: Husejinovic for Hunt (60), Prödl for Boenisch (67), Vranjes for Mertesacker (78)– Barnetta for Schwegler (69), Gekas for Helmes (77), Dum for Renato Augusto (86)

Bookings: / - Prödl

Referee: Sippel (Munich)

Attendance: 37,000