Werder Bremen took a big step to reaching the UEFA Cup semi-finals by beating Udinese Calcio 3-1 in the quarter-final first leg in front of 32,548 spectators in Weser-Stadion. Playmaker Diego scored twice...
Werder Bremen took a big step to reaching the UEFA Cup semi-finals by beating Udinese Calcio 3-1 in the quarter-final first leg in front of 32,548 spectators in Weser-Stadion. Playmaker Diego scored twice...
Werder Bremen took a big step to reaching the UEFA Cup semi-finals by beating Udinese Calcio 3-1 in the quarter-final first leg in front of 32,548 spectators in Weser-Stadion. Playmaker Diego scored twice (34th and 67th minutes) and Hugo Almeida made it 3-0 in the 69th minute. But Fabio Quagliarella gave Udinese a big goal three minutes before the final whistle to keep Werder from grabbing the near-perfect result.
Werder started the game trying to take the initiative but could not deal early on with the defensive minded Italians. But that changed after half an hour as Naldo's 30-yard hammer blasted off the crossbar. And that served as a wakeup call for Werder. Four minutes later Bremen used a counter-attack to grab the lead as Mesut Özil fed Diego and the playmaker netted with a fine-placed shot from the edge of the area for the 1-0 Bremen advantage at the break.
After Bremen failed to create many opportunities early in the second, the duo of Özil and Diego paired up again to give the Green-White fans another reason to celebrate. Özil passed onto Diego, who dribbled himself into some space to score into the upper corner. Just two minutes later, Almeida made it 3-0 after a long ball from Sebastian Boenisch. With Bremen thinking they were all but in the semi-finals, Quagliarella scored three minutes from time to give Werder a tough return leg next week. Still, the 3-1 victory gives the Green-Whites a solid foundation to move into the semis.
Werder Bremen:
Wiese - Boenisch (81' Pasanen), Naldo, Mertesacker, Fritz - Frings, Tziolis, Özil (77' Niemeyer), Diego - Almeida (71' Hunt), Pizarro; reserves: Vander, Baumann, Vranjes, Prödl
Udinese Calcio:
Handanovic - Zapata, Domizzi, Felipe, Pasquale - Inler (84' Obodo), d'Agostino, Asamoah - Alexis Sánchez, Pepe (71' Floro Flores), Quagliarella; reserves: Belardi, Isla, Zimling, Lukovic, Sala
Goals: 1-0 Diego (34'), 2-0 Diego (67'), 3-0 Hugo Almeida (69'), 3-1 Quagliarella (87')
Yellow cards: Frings, Tziolis - Pasquale
Referee: Laurent Duhamel (France)
Weser-Stadion: 32,548 spectators