Werder Bremen's summer signings deliver

It was a dream afternoon for Werder Bremen on Saturday. They went to the Borussia-Park and ran out with all three points, demolishing Borussia Mönchengladbach 4-0.

While everyone in dark green contributed to the victory, there was an emphasis on certain players. Those were the Bremen new boys, the talents brought in by the club this summer.

Gamechanger

It began with their their most important offseason acquisition. When Werder announced the purchase of Samuel Mbangula from Juventus for 10 million Euros, heads across the continent turned. The winger got off to a slow start, partly due to injury and partly due to his own poor decision-making. Some were concerned about the new big-money man.

Those worries disappeared when the winger picked up the ball, dribbled forward, and then rifled a shot off the underside of the crossbar and into the back of the net. It was a moment of pure magic, and it gave Bremen the lead.

Mbangula was involved again soon after. Getting into the box, he decided to delay a shot, which was the right decision since it would’ve been blocked by a sliding defender. Instead, he laid it off to Jens Stage, who promptly buried the opportunity.

The Belgian was not done, contributing to one final goal before full-time. Driving down the wing once again, he avoided one tackle before letting the next one bring him to the ground. It was a clear foul, and the referee was left with no other choice than to point to the spot.

While the Bundesliga might not officially count it, I’m adding it to his tally to bring Mbangula to one goal and two assists versus Gladbach. He was stellar in moments, and the most exciting thing is that he’s not even at his best yet.

If this is a sign of the future, then Die Werderaner should be thrilled for what’s to come. Maybe they should even send Juve a few more million.

Supporting cast

Mbangula wasn’t the only summer arrival that put in a big shift.

Next to him in midfield was Cameron Puertas, a deadline day acquisition. Despite not being in Bremen for too long, he was thrown right into the deep end of the starting lineup. He nearly sank, but eventually he started swimming just fine.

The attacking midfielder was practically everywhere on the field. Wherever the ball went, he followed. Either he was chasing down the opposition to win it, or carrying it up the pitch himself.

Sure, Puertas struggled in the final third at times. His shooting was off, and he missed a few simple passes as well. However, he made up for these errors with a relentlessness and a real fighting spirit. The Spaniard set an example, and Werder followed him.

The other acquisition from the Green-Whites on the final day was highly-touted striker Victor Boniface. He didn’t get to start, but he still made a big impact.

Subbed on in the 75th minute, he got to work. The forward immediately caused a threat, spinning past his marker to seemingly go through on goal. The defender had no other choice than to pull him back, yet no foul was called.

No matter, Boniface would still get onto the stat-sheet. Picking up possession on the edge of the box, he spotted the run of Justin Njinmah and played him a lovely pass into the area, where the latter only had to dink it over the goalkeeper.

It was a lovely start to life. While the Nigerian didn’t look like he was at top speed, he gets another week of training to prepare for this weekend’s game. He should start, but time will tell in that regard.

Moving to the backline, Yukinari Sugawara came a few weeks ago and has delivered ever since. He was as solid as ever versus Gladbach. Providing much-needed cover at right back, he has made that position his own.

The Japanese international is reliable defensively, consistently keeping up with opposing wingers and limiting them from creating chances. He’s clever on the ball too, picking out teammates with lovely diagonal passes into the middle. He’s no Dani Alves, but he even grabbed an assist of his own this past weekend.

He’s formed a relationship with fellow Japanese man Mio Backhaus, who was the product of some smart business by Werder. The youngster went into the campaign as the backup, but when the club received an offer for starter Michael Zetterer, they accepted it knowing they could promote Backhaus. It was certainly the right call.

The 21-year-old secured his first-ever clean sheet, which was a memorable moment for him. While he wasn’t forced into too many big saves, he did what was needed. He came out for crosses, punching them away, and he moved the ball around when building out of the back. His composure for his age is impressive, and he’ll only get better with time.

Isaac Schmidt did not feature, which was unfortunate since he played a big part in the team’s comeback versus Bayer Leverkusen. It wasn’t his fault, and manager Horst Steffen even talked to him on the bench to explain the situation. His inability to see the pitch just highlights the current squad depth at the Weserstadion.

The other two summer signings were not needed, as Karl Hein is simply a backup keeper, while Maximilian Wöber is out injured.

Going again

Bremen’s new boys will have another tough test ahead of them. While they get to return home, they will have to host Europa League side SC Freiburg.

A win here could serve as a real statement, and propel Die Werderaner into a European push of their own.