Niclas Füllkrug marks Werder return with 50th goal

Niclas Füllkrug was back in Werder Bremen colours, scored his 50th goal for the club and then admitted, “I hadn't realised how much I'd missed it.” The return came in a 3-0 DFB Cup first-round win over Luneburger SK Hansa, with Füllkrug converting a penalty eight minutes into the second half.

Füllkrug's return felt like a reunion

The best line of the afternoon came from Füllkrug himself: “The best thing about today was seeing the Werder fans again. I really missed them.” He added that Werder and he have “enjoyed a special journey together”, and called it “a special afternoon.”

That reaction fits the scale of the day. Füllkrug’s 50th goal for Werder arrived in his 125th club appearance in all competitions, a neat marker for a striker who has spent a long time around this club already. It also followed a season-long loan return from West Ham United, which made the first goal back feel even more personal.

The cup win still gave Werder a clean start

The emotion sat alongside a straightforward result. Jens Stage gave Werder an 11th-minute lead, Füllkrug added the penalty after the restart and Ludovit Reis completed the scoring late in the second half. Daniel Thioune said it was important to have Ludovit and Niclas on the pitch, and that progression was all that mattered after the win.

Füllkrug’s role back at Werder should not be reduced to nostalgia alone. He said he wants to offer support up front and be a reliable figure for the youngsters, while Thioune made clear the senior presence matters as well. The emotional return was the headline, but the 3-0 win and the milestone goal gave Werder a strong opening step in the cup.