Hoffenheim held firm despite Wouter Burger’s second-half red card to claim a 2-0 win at Werder Bremen, securing five victories in six Bundesliga matches. The hosts remain winless in nine league games (D3, L6).

Werder almost took the lead inside the opening minute when Justin Njinmah side-footed narrowly wide from 15 yards following Jens Stage’s precise pass. Hoffenheim responded through Andrej Kramaric, who tested Mio Backhaus with a near-post header from a corner, but chances were limited in a low-intensity first half.

The deadlock was broken just before halftime by Alexander Prass, who lit up the Weserstadion with a moment of brilliance. Hoffenheim moved the ball to the edge of the penalty area, and Kramaric laid it off perfectly for Prass, who unleashed a first-time strike from 25 yards into the top corner, marking his first goal for the club in his 50th appearance.

The breakthrough put the pressure on Werder, who received a boost six minutes into the second half when Burger’s sliding challenge on Cameron Puertas was upgraded to a red card after a VAR review. However, Hoffenheim quickly capitalized on their numerical advantage. From a free-kick, Grischa Promel nudged Julian Malatini off balance before firing in Hoffenheim’s second goal, his sixth of the Bundesliga season.

Werder briefly thought they had pulled one back when Romano Schmid flicked the ball into the net just after the hour mark, but VAR ruled the goal out for a marginal offside. Despite making several attacking changes, Werder never looked capable of mounting a comeback and remain 15th, three points above 16th-place FSV Mainz.

Hoffenheim, unbeaten in 11 away clashes at the Weserstadion (W6), now boast the Bundesliga’s second-best away record (W6, D3, L1) behind Bayern Munich. The victory keeps them in third place, just three points behind second-placed Borussia Dortmund.