Bundesliga End of Season Awards: Werder Bremen's Player of the Season
With a relegation and promotion sandwiched in between, Werder Bremen have managed their highest table finish since the 2018-19 season. Slipping into 9th-position after the final fixture, its hard to say Ole Werner’s side didn’t deserve it. Did German football fans or even Werder Bremen fans expect it? Probably not. The departure of 2022/23 Bundesliga top-scorer Niclas Füllkrug to Borussia Dortmund looked worrying for Bremen. Their ‘Mr.Reliable’ leaving after consistently delivering and aiding them in their return to the top-flight. A seemingly unfillable void.
The duo of Ducksch and Füllkrug the season before looked almost symbiotic at times. Combining for 28 Bundesliga goals that campaign; it was the case that if one scored, the other provided the assist and vice versa. Surely the absence of one half of that formidable strike force would impact the other. That was until Marvin Ducksch took to upon himself to lead the charge for Die Werderaner. The 30-year-old matched his previous campaign tally. Ducksch racked up another 12-goal season while furthering his assists from 6 to a total of 10 in 33 appearances.
An 18-yard-box predator by trade, Ducksch exemplified that with all but one of his 12 goals coming from a distance further than the penalty spot. A free-kick against Wolfsburg the only exception which leads onto his other invaluable attribute – set-pieces. While finding the net may come from close range, the 30-year-old ranks in the 94th-percentile for assists when compared with other strikers (fbref.com). A share of corner and free-kick duties has seen Ole Werner’s side create goals thanks to his expertise in said areas.
STANDOUT PERFORMANCE:
Against the side that would eventually finish second in the Bundesliga, Marvin Ducksch guided Bremen to victory over VfB Stuttgart on Matchday 30. A sunny afternoon in the Weserstadion watched the recovering Jamie Leweling bundle Felix Agu over in the box. After a brief VAR review the spot-kick was awarded. Placing the ball on the whitewash, Marvin Ducksch cut a picture of poise as he took a sharp breath and focused his mind. There was nothing the 6’ 4’’ frame of Alexander Nubel could do as the Bremen striker buried it past him in the blink of an eye to the lower-right netting.
With just six defeats all season, Stuttgart would experience their seventh at the expense of an in-form Ducksch. Three minutes after half time Mitchell Weiser and Romano Schmid linked up on the right flank. The Austrian cut down the right to collect his wing-back’s pass. Without a glance or hesitiation, Schmid whipped the ball into the box in the knowledge his striker would be there in some way or somehow. Ducksch slipped between Anton and Karazor delivering a sumptuous first-time, instep finish as Nübel dived in despair. While Deniz Undav halved the deficit, Bremen hung on for a valuable 2-1 win courtesy of their key man up top.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS:
Michael Zetterer and Mitchell Weiser picked up a pair of votes each. The German shot-stopper took over from Jiri Pavlenka on Matchday 8 and never looked back with 6 clean sheets in 27 appearances. Weiser continues to be a vital cog in the Bremen engine room with 3 goals and 7 assists to his name. Making up the full voting array was Romano Schmid who had his best season to date in green and white colours with 4 goals and 7 assists from attacking midfield.