Werder Bremen still have every chance of progressing from Group B to the knock-out stages of the UEFA Champions League following their 2-2 draw away to Panathinaikos Athens.
Werder Bremen still have every chance of progressing from Group B to the knock-out stages of the UEFA Champions League following their 2-2 draw away to Panathinaikos Athens.
Werder Bremen still have every chance of progressing from Group B to the knock-out stages of the UEFA Champions League following their 2-2 draw away to Panathinaikos Athens. After Per Mertesacker had put Thomas Schaaf’s side in front, the Greeks hit back with two goals to turn the game on its head but with seven minutes to go, Hugo Almeida powered home a header to earn the Green-Whites a share of the spoils.
The home side controlled the game during the first half, but it was the visitors that opened the scoring. In the 29th minute, a Mesut Özil free-kick from the right fell conveniently for Per Mertesacker, who drove home from close range to put Werder in front. Tim Wiese’s replacement between the posts, Christian Pander, dealt well with a number of efforts from distance by the Greek side but in the 36th minute, the Green-Whites number two keeper could do nothing to stop Mantzios’ looping header from making it 1-1 – which was to prove the half time score.
In the 68th minute, Mantzios struck again with another powerful, dipping header to make it 2-1 for the home side and five minutes later, Dimitrios Salpingidis had the chance to possibly put the game beyond the Green-Whites with an effort which crashed off the crossbar. Werder then picked up the pace and were eventually rewarded for their investment in the game in the 83rd minute when Hugo Almeida rose to perfectly head home a well weighted delivery by substitute Sebastian Boenisch to make it 2-2. For Werder Bremen it was a vitally important equaliser which sees Thomas Schaaf’s men retain every chance of progressing to the next round, having taken three points from their first three games, which leaves them in third place in Group B.
The game at a glance:
Panathinaikos Athen: Tzorvas – Nilsson, Vyntra, Sarriegi, Spiropoulos (46. Ivnschitz) – Simao, Gilberto Silva, Gabriel, Karagounis (71. Cleyton), Salpingidis – Mantzios (82. Rukavina)
Werder Bremen: Vander – Prödl, Mertesacker, Naldo, Pasanen (79. Boenisch) – Baumann, Frings, Özil, Diego – Pizarro (27. Pizarro), Almeida (90+4. Sanogo)
Goals: 0-1 Mertesacker (29'), 1-1 Mantzios (36'), 2-1 Mantzios (68'), 2-2 Almeida (83')
Referee: Riley (England)
Attendance: 58,000 (Olympia-Stadium Athens)
Yellow cards: Spiropoulos, Karagounis, Sarriegi, Simao, Ivanschitz - Diego, Prödl
