The Weserstadion had barely settled when Werder Bremen announced their intentions. Four minutes were on the clock when Eren Dinkçi latched onto a beautifully weighted through ball from Chuki, steadied himself and drilled a right-footed finish into the bottom right corner. The green half of Bremen erupted, and from that moment the afternoon belonged to the hosts.

What followed was a controlled, ruthless dismantling of a Leipzig side that arrived with genuine ambitions of climbing the early Bundesliga table. Werder Bremen ran out 3-1 winners, a scoreline that flattered the visitors given the authority with which the home side dictated proceedings. Ridle Baku's stoppage-time header was the only blemish on an otherwise commanding display.

For a team that had opened the campaign with a defeat, this was the perfect riposte. Bremen played with hunger and clarity, pressing when they needed to, striking when the openings came. By the time the final whistle sounded, the result never felt in doubt.

Fast out of the blocks

There is nothing quite like an early goal to shape a match, and Dinkçi's fourth-minute strike did exactly that. It handed Werder Bremen the initiative and forced Leipzig into a game they never truly wanted to play, chasing the tempo rather than setting it. The Weserstadion sensed blood, and the noise never dropped.

Chuki's assist deserves its own mention, the kind of incisive through ball that splits a defence and asks only that the runner finishes it. Dinkçi obliged with the composure of a man in form, and Bremen had the platform they craved. From there they were content to absorb pressure and pick their moments.

Leipzig, to their credit, kept probing, but the equaliser never arrived when they most needed it. Every foray forward was met by a home side that defended its lead with discipline and belief. The longer the first half wore on, the more the visitors' frustration became visible.

Füllkrug seals it

The second goal, when it came on 68 minutes, carried an air of inevitability. Marco Grüll swung in a cross following a corner, and Niclas Füllkrug did what he does best, rising in the centre of the box to power a header into the top right corner. It was a striker's goal, all timing and conviction, and it effectively settled the contest.

Twelve minutes later the game was beyond Leipzig entirely. Grüll, having turned provider for Füllkrug, this time took matters into his own hands, cutting inside and steering a right-footed shot into the bottom left corner. Three-nil, and the Weserstadion was in full voice, celebrating not just a win but a statement.

Grüll's afternoon captured everything that made Werder Bremen so effective. He was a menace on the flank, a threat from set pieces, and clinical when the moment demanded. His goal was the exclamation mark on a display of ambition and intent that few would have predicted after their opening-day stumble.

Table takes shape

The victory lifts Werder Bremen to nine points across the standings in spirit if not yet in arithmetic; on three points and now sitting ninth, they have transformed a shaky start into something with momentum. One win, one loss reads modestly, but the manner of this triumph suggests a side finding its rhythm. Four goals for, five against, and the sense of a team learning to win.

For RB Leipzig, seventh in the table on the same three points, this was a jolt. Baku's header deep into stoppage time, teed up by Andrija Maksimovic's cross, offered the faintest of consolations but did nothing to soften the sting. Their season, one win and one loss so far, now demands a swift response before doubts take hold.

The margins in these opening weeks are fine, and both sides sit level on points despite the gulf shown on the day. Yet perception matters, and Werder Bremen leave with belief coursing through them while Leipzig depart with questions to answer about their resolve away from home.

What comes next

Werder Bremen will look upon this afternoon as a marker for the weeks ahead. Beating a side of Leipzig's calibre with such command breeds confidence, and confidence is currency at this stage of a Bundesliga campaign. The challenge now is consistency, turning a single emphatic performance into a run.

RB Leipzig, meanwhile, must regroup quickly. The talent in their squad is not in question, but the ease with which they were opened up will trouble those charged with organising the side. Baku's late goal at least offers something to build upon, a reminder that the fight was never entirely extinguished.

On this evidence, though, the day belonged wholly to the hosts. Dinkçi lit the fuse, Füllkrug and Grüll finished the job, and the Weserstadion sent its team off to a roar. A statement delivered, and a marker laid down.