On the seventh match day of the season, Werder Bremen crumbled to a 1-4 (0-2) defeat at the hands of VfB Stuttgart. 55,800 spectators at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Stuttgart saw goals scored by...
On the seventh match day of the season, Werder Bremen crumbled to a 1-4 (0-2) defeat at the hands of VfB Stuttgart. 55,800 spectators at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Stuttgart saw goals scored by...
On the seventh match day of the season, Werder Bremen crumbled to a 1-4 (0-2) defeat at the hands of VfB Stuttgart. 55,800 spectators at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Stuttgart saw goals scored by Sami Khedira (18’), Christian Träsch (29’), Roberto Hilbert (63’) and Martin Lanig (88’) for the home side whilst Diego netted a consolation for the Green-Whites (65’).
It was an unusually poor first half which truly cost Werder on the day. Following their impressive midweek performance in the UEFA Champions League in Milan, trainer Thomas Schaaf’s eleven approached the tie in Stuttgart in extremely passive fashion and were punished for that after just 18 minutes when the Brazilian striker Cacau played a clever pass through to Sami Khedira who skipped past the on-rushing Tim Wiese and turned the ball home to make it 1-0 for the hosts.
Having taken the lead, VfB continued to control the pace of the game, although Markus Rosenberg did have a chance to equalise for Werder after 25 minutes when Frank Baumann sent him on his way with a long ball, but Stuttgart keeper Jens Lehmann was quickly off the line to deny the Swede and avert the danger. Just four minutes later, the home side doubled their lead. Pasanen rose to clear a corner but the header proved too weak and 21 year old Christian Träsch met the ball with a stunning volley from 20 meters out to make it 2-0.
After the break, Werder failed to up their game and after 63 minutes, the visitors found themselves 3-0 down. Jens Lehmann bowled the ball down the flank to Träsch who crossed from the right. The ball eluded Khedira in the centre but Roberto Hilbert was well placed at the back post to drive past Tim Wiese. Just two minutes later, Diego threw the Green-Whites a possible lifeline as he neatly bent in a free-kick from 18 meters out, but unable to produce more, Werder eventually found themselves conceding a fourth late on as substitute Martin Lanig slotted home to make it 4-1 (88’) and seal Werder Bremen’s misery.
The game at a glance:
VfB Stuttgart: Lehmann - Träsch, Tasci, Osorio, Magnin (83‘ Kovacevic) - Khedira, Hitzlsperger - Hilbert, Boka (77‘ Rudy) - Gomez (86‘ Lanig), Cacau
Werder Bremen: Wiese - Fritz, Prödl (79‘ Almeida), Naldo, Pasanen - Baumann (46‘ Hunt) - Frings, Özil - Diego - Rosenberg, Pizarro (46‘ Sanogo)
Goals: 1-0 Khedira (18‘), 2-0 Träsch (29‘), 3-0 Hilbert (63‘), 3-1 Diego (65‘), 4-1 Lanig (88‘)
Referee: Fandel (Kyllburg)
Attendance: Mercedes-Benz-Arena: 55.800 (sold-out)
Yellow cards: Gomez, Boka, Lehmann – Fritz, Diego, Pasanen, Hunt
