Werder Bremen have made a further slip-up in their Champions League campaign. The Green-Whites performed disappointingly on the night and deservedly lost 2:1 (0:0) to Lazio Rome.
Werder Bremen have made a further slip-up in their Champions League campaign. The Green-Whites performed disappointingly on the night and deservedly lost 2:1 (0:0) to Lazio Rome.
Werder Bremen have made a further slip-up in their Champions League campaign. The Green-Whites performed disappointingly on the night and deservedly lost 2:1 (0:0) to Lazio Rome. Tommaso Rocchi put the Italians in front when he slid in to convert the loose ball after Tim Wiese had initially blocked his penalty. Eleven minutes later the German side were caught cold and the Lazio vice-captain finished a quick counter attack to make it 2:0. In the 88th minute, Diego reduced the deficit to 2:1 from the penalty spot. The Italian’s rescued the points with just ten men after Sanchez Cribari saw a second yellow for the foul which led to the spot kick. In the fifth minute of added time, Diego picked up a second yellow too for unsporting conduct.
Lazio put the pressure on
Werder’s coach Thomas Schaaf made just one change to the eleven which started against Rostock in last weekend’s 1:0 win with Clemens Fritz getting into the first team in place of Dusko Tosic. Within the first minute, Fritz and his defensive colleagues saw the hosts twice strike on goal with both efforts luckily clearing the crossbar. The Italians look agile and aggressive from the outset and put their visitors under early pressure. Tim Wiese had to be alert early on to deal with chances for Rocci (6’) and shortly afterwards from Gugliemo Stendardo (11’). The striker proved too hectic in finishing whilst the defender headed straight at the keeper.
Lazio, who had as yet failed to seal a win in the Champions League this season, looked determined in their task and maintained the pressure throughout the first period. Tim Wiese was forced to spread himself to save a 20 meter drive from Luciano Zauri and turn the ball around the post for a corner (13’). Six minutes later Mourad Meghni saw his shot sail over the crossbar from the edge of the box. On the quarter hour, the Werder defence was caught at sixes-and-sevens with a high ball from the midfield but Makinwa’s shot was easily dealt with by Wiese.
Harmless up front, confusion at the back
How were Werder to deal with the Lazio onslaught? Poorly!! Hugo Almeida had one header after five minutes which proved harmless, otherwise the Green-Whites offensive attempts came to little more than some less than convincing long ball play. The visitors failed to settle in the game and couldn’t seem to combine. To add to their problems, captain Frank Baumann had to be replaced with what appeared to be a broken nose (32’) and the back four appeared shaken by the loss. Per Mertesacker managed to toe poke a clearance at the last second (36’) and Petri Pasanen was well placed on the goal line to prevent his side going a goal down through Tommaso Rocchi (40’). The visitors took a flattering 0:0 into the half-time break.
After the break, Werder finally managed to force Lazio back for the first time. Almeida floated in a delivery which found the head of Tim Borowski who headed down for Diego. The Brazilian struck directly but couldn’t find the target (50’). The referee, Ivan Bebek, who was making his Champions League debut, took the limelight soon after as he only produced a yellow card when de Silvestri took down Rosenberg who was poised to shoot. The referee had also allowed a number of hefty fouls on Diego to go unpunished, as he did in the 66th minute when Almeida went down after an elbow check. The resulting Lazio break lead to Naldo bringing down Meghni in the box and this time a spot kick was the outcome. Tommaso Rocchi stepped up to take the penalty and had his initial effort blocked by the legs of Tim Wiese but the keeper failed to gather the loose ball and the striker slid in to force the ball over the line and make it 1:0 for the hosts.
Lazio punish Werder inconsistency
Werder answered with a number of half chances but only a powerful Naldo free-kick forced a save from Lazio’s 43 year old keeper Marco Ballotta (65’). Instead of being back on level terms, the Green-Whites found themselves two goals down. Meghni foxed three Werder players in the midfield and hit a long searching ball towards Rocchi, who seared past a hesitant Naldo and chipped over the onrushing Wiese to make it 2:0 (68’). The home side settled for a now more defensive approach but were rarely tested by an all too passive Werder side. Rosenberg’s half-volley (81’) and an Almeida shot (84’) failed to threaten Ballotta’s goal. The Italians did find themselves struggling to deal with a delivery from Diego and when Sanchez Cribari tugged on Per Mertesacker’s shirt, the referee had no choice but to award a penalty and issue the defender his second yellow of the night. In the confusion before the penalty was taken, Diego saw yellow when he reacted to provocation and the warning would later prove decisive. The Brazilian playmaker hammered the ball into the top of the net to give his side a minimal chance of getting back into the game late on. Five minutes extra were added to the ninety due to Lazio’s time wasting but for all their efforts, there was to be no way through for Werder who will have to make do without Diego when they face Real Madrid in a fortnight. The Brazilian international vented his frustration over both the result and the lack of consequence by the referee on an advertising hoarding late in added time and saw a second yellow card for his troubles.
Johnnie Muldoon
S.S. Lazio Rom - Werder Bremen 2:1
Lazio Rom: Ballotta – Behrami, Stendardo, Cribari, Zauri (18. de Silvestri) – Mudingayi, Ledesma, Mutarelli, Meghni (74. Manfredini) – Rocchi, Makinwa (88. Scaloni)
Werder Bremen: Wiese – Fritz (76. Harnik), Naldo, Mertesacker, Pasanen – Baumann (32. Jensen), Andreasen, Borowski, Diego – Rosenberg, Hugo Almeida; on the bench: Vander, Schindler, Vranjes, Carlos Alberto, Tošiæ
Goals: 1:0 Rocchi (57.), 2:0 Rocchi (68.), 2:1 Diego (Foulelfmeter, 88.)
Yellow cards: Stendardo, de Silvestri, Rocchi – Borowski, Andreasen
Red cards: Cribari – Diego
Referee: Ivan Bebek (Croatia)
Attendance: Stadio Olimpico - 30.000
