It was a special day in Germany’s Bundesliga for Karl Jakob Hein. The 23-year-old Estonia international goalkeeper celebrated his first-ever win and clean sheet in the league as Werder Bremen edged past St. Pauli 1-0.
Hein, on loan from Arsenal, had made his Bundesliga debut just a week earlier against giants Bayern Munich. Despite a 0-4 defeat in that match, he impressed with a string of saves and was rewarded with another start. His chance came after Werder’s usual No. 1, Germany U-21 keeper Mio Backhaus, suffered a serious shoulder injury in training.
Facing St. Pauli also brought an Estonian subplot. National team captain Karol Mets, who recently returned from almost a year out, was named on the bench for the visitors. However, the anticipated duel between the two compatriots never materialized, as Mets stayed among the substitutes.
The game itself was decided almost instantly. Just two minutes in, Belgian winger Samuel Mbangula struck to put Werder ahead. From there, Hein did his job with calm authority, stopping all three shots on target to secure both his maiden Bundesliga win and his first clean sheet.
With the result, Werder climbed to 11th place in the table on seven points from six matches. St. Pauli sit slightly higher in ninth, also with seven points but a superior goal difference.
Both Estonians now link up with the national team for matches against Italy and Moldova during the international break. Afterward, Hein and Werder face an away trip to Heidenheim, while Mets will be hoping to make his first club appearance of the season against Hoffenheim.
