Bremen end Frankfurt’s unbeaten run with second-half fightback

(Reuters) - Werder Bremen's United States forward Josh Sargent scored the winner as his struggling side came from a goal down at halftime to beat Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 in the Bundesliga on Friday and hand the visitors a first league defeat of the year.

Victory moved Werder eight points above the relegation zone while ending fourth-placed Frankfurt’s 11-match unbeaten run in the Bundesliga, stretching back to early December.

Bremen, who had won only three of their previous 25 home league games, fought back with a strong second-half performance after Frankfurt had taken a ninth minute lead when Andre Silva headed his 19th goal of the season in the Bundesliga.

Theodor Gebre Selassie equalised two minutes into after the break, at the end of a flying run down the right flank, but only following a VAR check after initially being flagged offside.

Sargent then grabbed the decisive goal in the 62nd minute, which also required VAR verification before being awarded.

The hosts had two other efforts ruled out because of offside and in the first half Milot Rashica fired against the crossbar.

"They were just a little too strong for us after halftime," said Frankfurt's veteran captain Makoto Hasebe.

However, they remain well positioned for a berth in next season's Champions League, five points ahead of fifth-placed Bayer Leverkusen, who host Freiburg on Sunday.

(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Ken Ferris)