Werder Bremen started the UEFA Cup Round of 32 with a 1-1 draw against AC Milan. In front of 36,151 spectators at Weser-Stadium, Filippo Inzaghi gave the guests the lead in the 36th minute. But...
Werder Bremen started the UEFA Cup Round of 32 with a 1-1 draw against AC Milan. In front of 36,151 spectators at Weser-Stadium, Filippo Inzaghi gave the guests the lead in the 36th minute. But...
Werder Bremen started the UEFA Cup Round of 32 with a 1-1 draw against AC Milan. In front of 36,151 spectators at Weser-Stadium, Filippo Inzaghi gave the guests the lead in the 36th minute. But Diego struck the much-celebrated equaliser in the 84th minute.
Werder started in fine fashion. A Diego corner ended up at Alexandros Tziolis all alone in front of the Milan goal but the Greek international could not beat AC keeper Dida from five yards. And Werder’s push forward continued - almost as though Milan were not even on the pitch. Tziolis’s cross into the box was just inches too high for Hugo Almeida in the second minute. And the Portuguese striker was just wide left three minutes later. And the fans were thrilled.
The guests’ first chance did not come until the 15th minute. Mathieu Flamini unleashed a strike from the right side but Bremen keeper Tim Wiese was there to fend it away. Wiese had to reach behind him though in the 36th minute. After a poor pass by Clemens Fritz, Flamini crossed from the right side to Inzaghi, who headed against Per Mertesacker but then struck home coolly the 1-0 half-time lead.
After the break, Werder was practically the only team playing. And a goal was just a matter of time. Almeida missed a blast from 25 yards just wide right in the 53rd minute. Diego was stopped by his Brazilian compatriot three minutes later and Almeida’s header went just left of goal in the 57th. Bremen nearly saw AC Milan double the lead after 67 minutes. Ronaldinho played a long ball to Inzaghi, whose shot from the right side struck the crossbar. Werder pushed forward again with plenty of spirit and passion.
And the efforts were finally rewarded with the equaliser shortly before the final whistle. Daniel Jensen’s long ball into the area where Almeida out-jumped Philippe Senderos to head onto Diego, who kept his cool and beat Dida from six yards to make it 1-1. Bremen nearly grabbed the victory as Massimo Ambrosini’s header struck against the crossbar of his own goal in the 90th minute.
The game at a glance:
Werder Bremen: Wiese - Fritz (74' Harnik), Mertesacker, Naldo, Boenisch - Baumann (62' Jensen) – Tziolis, Özil - Diego – Pizarro, Almeida
AC Mailand: Dida – Zambrotta, Senderos, Favalli, Bonera – Flamini, Pirlo, Ambrosini – Ronaldinho (89' Beckham), Seedorf (86' Jankulovski) – Inzaghi
Goals: 0-1 Inzaghi (36'), 1-1 Diego (84')
Referee: Dean (England)
Attendance: 36,151 (Weser-Stadium, sold-out)
Yellow cards: Diego, Jensen – Ambrosini, Flamini, Favalli
