Karl Hein continues to make the most of his chance at Werder Bremen, producing another assured display to help his loan club to a 1-0 win over St Pauli.
The on-loan Arsenal goalkeeper, who had been forced to wait patiently for his debut, has now started back-to-back matches following an injury to regular No.1 Mio Backhaus, and his performances have quickly silenced any doubts about his readiness.
Thrown into the deep end against Bayern Munich last week, Hein impressed despite the 4-0 defeat, making eight saves and repeatedly denying Harry Kane and Nicolas Jackson.
This weekend, he went one better.
Against St Pauli, the 23-year-old kept a clean sheet, made three saves and nine recoveries, and was the highest-rated player on the pitch with a score of 8.2 – the only player from either side to be rated above 8.
“It was very important that we were able to secure a win before the international break,” Hein said after the match. “I hope we can take this momentum with us and continue after the break.”
The Estonian international’s handling and composure under pressure have already earned him praise in the German press, with some describing him as a “commanding presence” and noting the confidence he brings to Werder’s back line.
Hein now departs for international duty with Estonia, where he is his country’s first-choice goalkeeper. He will face Italy on 11 October and Moldova three days later in World Cup qualifying.