Arsenal loanee Karl Hein suffered defeat on his Werder Bremen debut on Friday night, but he performed well despite the eventual scoreline.
Arsenal’s Karl Hein moved on loan to Werder Bremen this summer, but there was some concern when the goalkeeper was named on the bench for his first three games with the club.
It’s always hard to break into a team as a goalkeeper, but Hein got a golden opportunity this week after an injury to first-choice shot-stopper Mio Backhaus.
Hein was named in the starting lineup on Friday night as a result, but the one problem was that Werder Bremen were playing away to Bayern Munich.
All the same, Hein seemed keen to take the chance, making two big saves from Harry Kane and even charging out of his penalty area to make a headed clearance in the 42nd minute.
The Estonia international also made a big save to deny Nicolas Jackson, and in total he made eight stops including five from shots inside the penalty area.
Yet it was Bayern Munich, playing at home. The Bundesliga champions completely and utterly dominated the match and ended up scoring four goals for a comfortable 4-0 victory.
GGFN’s Daniel Pinder reported afterwards: “Despite what the scoreline suggests, I genuinely thought Karl Hein – on loan from Arsenal – was excellent for Werder Bremen tonight. Key saves to deny Harry Kane (twice), and Nicolas Jackson. Commanding presence in the area.”
Hein will still be disappointed by the result on his debut, but there were encouraging signs. He certainly gave his manager something to think about for the coming fixtures.