On the weekend Hamburg and Werder Bremen will face off in their 110th North Derby (and 94th showdown in the Bundesliga). The match-up of diamond-clad clubs has provided plenty of high emotions and curious storylines in the past. Even the words...
On the weekend Hamburg and Werder Bremen will face off in their 110th North Derby (and 94th showdown in the Bundesliga). The match-up of diamond-clad clubs has provided plenty of high emotions and curious storylines in the past. Even the words...
On the weekend Hamburg and Werder Bremen will face off in their 110th North Derby (and 94th showdown in the Bundesliga). The match-up of diamond-clad clubs has provided plenty of high emotions and curious storylines in the past. Even the words "paper balls" peak fans' ears. WERDER.DE looked for some of the most interesting derby stories.
The 2008-09 season schedule had a special grouping of derbies for the two northern Germany clubs. Werder and Hamburg faced off four times within 19 days. Thomas Schaaf's team won the opener of the derby weeks by beating Hamburg in penalties of the German Cup semi-finals. Tim Wiese was described as a "giant" by the Bild daily after saving three spot kicks.
After a close 1-0 Werder loss at Weser Stadium in the first leg of the UEFA Cup semi-finals, Bremen's next big celebration came two weeks later in Hamburg's Volkspark Stadium. The protagonist was a paper ball which a Hamburg fan had thrown onto the pitch. Just as Hamburg's Michael Gravgaard was about to clear a ball, it bounced off the paper ball and the Dane mis-hit it for a Werder corner kick. Diego's corner was headed on by Hugo Almeida to Frank Baumann at the far post to make it 3-1 for Werder - bringing Werder to the UEFA Cup final. Sat.1 reporter Oliver Welke would later hand the paper ball to Werder manager Klaus Allofs and it would later end up in the WUSEUM. Three days later, Bremen would book their third win over Hamburg (1-0) - this time in the Bundesliga.
Clear win and final for Champions League ticket
Volkspark also was a good location for Werder in the 2005-06 season. On the final day of the Bundesliga, it was of all things the North Derby which would decide the direct qualification for the Champions League. And Bremen did not let this chance slip away. Miroslav Klose and Ivan Klasnic scored in a 2-1 away victory for Werder's ticket to the Champions League.
Just as exciting for the Green-Whites supporters was the showdown in the championship season 2003-04 as Bremen blasted Hamburg 6-0 in their own stadium with goals from Barbarez (own goal), Ismael, Klasnic, Ailton, Valdez and Skripnik (penalty). A couple weeks later captain Frank Baumann hoisted the championship trophy at Weser Stadium.
