Loss after lead in Berlin

Josip Simunic’s equaliser was just out of reach of Werder keeper Tim Wiese.
First Team
Sunday, 19.04.2009 / 19:29

Werder Bremen failed to hold onto a lead in losing 2-1 at Hertha Berlin in the 28th game day. Per Mertesacker gave Bremen the lead in the 43rd minute in front of 68,022 spectators in Berlin...

Werder Bremen failed to hold onto a lead in losing 2-1 at Hertha Berlin in the 28th game day. Per Mertesacker gave Bremen the lead in the 43rd minute in front of 68,022 spectators in Berlin’s Olympiastadion. But Josip Simunic (71’) and Raffael (87’) turned around the game for the hosts.

 

In the first half, the game needed quite some time before it gained in substance. The first real goal chance didn’t occur until the 26th minute for Berlin as Hertha’s Brazilian Cicero headed a cross against the right post. Werder were close just minutes later as Sebastian Prödl passed Clemens Fritz’s cross to Frank Baumann, but the captain’s shot from a good position went over the crossbar.

 

Werder increased the pressure shortly before the break and were rewarded. Prödl’s strong shot was stopped by Berlin keeper Jaroslav Drobny in the 41st minute, but Bremen scored two minutes later. Torsten Frings’ corner in the 43rd landed at Mertesacker in the box and he fought off two Berlin defenders to push the ball over the line for the opening goal - and a 1-0 lead at the break.

 

After the intermission, it again took time before things would get dangerous. Werder had the first top chance of the second half at the hour mark. After a fine play by Frings, Alexandros Tziolis fed Peter Niemeyer, who was alone but headed wide right. And Hertha would eventually come through against the stronger Bremen side in the 71st minute. Raffael sent a ball to the left side to Pal Dardai, who crossed into the middle where Simunic headed to the far right post over Bremen keeper Tim Wiese for the equaliser.

 

Berlin took the initiative and nearly grabbed the lead in the 82nd minute but Amine Chermiti’s header hit the post. But Hertha would get the last laugh. The Werder defence pushed too far forward looking for three points and Berlin scored quickly after a lost ball in the defensive midfield, with Chermiti feeding Raffael in the 87th for a looping shot over Wiese from about 20 yards for the 2-1 final score.

 

 

The game at a glance:

 

Hertha BSC Berlin: Drobny - Stein (66' Chermiti), von Bergen, Simunic, Cufre - Kacar, Dardai - Nicu (57' Piszcek), Cicero - Raffael, Pantelic (61' Domovchiyski); auf der Bank: Burchert, Kaka, Rodnei, Lucio

 

Werder Bremen: Wiese − Fritz, Mertesacker, Naldo, Prödl − Frings, Baumann, Tziolis, Hunt (46' Niemeyer) − Pizarro, Rosenberg (66' Hugo Almeida)

 

Goals: 0-1 Mertesacker (43'), 1-1 Simunic (71'), 2-1 Raffael (87')

 

Yellow cards: Drobny, Dardai, Kacar

 

Referee: Babak Rafati (Hannover)

 

Attendance: 68,022 (Olympiastadion)

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