Title-holders Werder Bremen reached the semi-finals of the German Cup with a 2-1 victory over Hoffenheim. Naldo and Hugo Almeida were the goal scorers for Thomas Schaaf’s team...
Title-holders Werder Bremen reached the semi-finals of the German Cup with a 2-1 victory over Hoffenheim. Naldo and Hugo Almeida were the goal scorers for Thomas Schaaf’s team...
Title-holders Werder Bremen reached the semi-finals of the German Cup with a 2-1 victory over Hoffenheim. Naldo and Hugo Almeida were the goal scorers for Thomas Schaaf’s team. Prince Tagoe scored the 1-1 equaliser for Hoffenheim.
Winter returned to Bremen just a couple hours before the kick-off, but 27,351 spectators braved blowing snow at Weser Stadium and saw Werder start the match offensively minded, forcing the guests immediately into the defensive. Thomas Schaaf’s team had the first chance after nine minutes on a counter attack down the left side from where Mesut Özil passed into the middle though Claudio Pizarro just missed the goal. Naldo proved better in the 26th minute, sinking a wonderful free kick into the upper right corner as Hoffenheim keeper Timo Hildebrand did not have a chance.
Thereafter the guests came out of the defensive system and pushed forward. Their best chance came on a corner in the 32nd minute as captain Per Nilson’s header went just off target from Tim Wiese’s goal and Werder went into intermission ahead 1-0.
Bremen nearly doubled the lead shortly after the break but Marko Marin’s fine shot from the edge of the area was stopped with a fine reaction by Hildebrand. At the other end, Maicosuel missed after a fine solo action and Bremen’s Clemens Fritz was just unlucky with his attempt from 30 yards in the 54th minute. The game continued to go back and forth and Hoffenheim finally grabbed the equaliser in the 73rd minute. A cross from the left side found the substitute Prince Tagoe, who headed past Christian Vander to make it 1-1. But Werder struck again just three minutes later as Bremen substitute Hugo Almeida blasted home from 17 yards into the upper right corner after a fine solo action. That gave the Green-Whites a deserved 2-1 victory and Werder once again a spot in the German Cup semi-finals.
Werder Bremen: Wiese (46’ Vander) – Fritz, Mertesacker, Naldo, Pasanen – Frings, Özil (71’ Almeida), Niemeyer, Hunt (90’+ 2 Borowski) – Marin, Pizarro; reserves: Rosenberg, Abdennour, Husejinovic, Ayik
Hoffenheim: Hildebrand – Ibertsberger, Nilsson, Vorsah, Eichner – Salihovic, Luiz Gustavo, Carlos Eduardo, Vukcevic (71’ Tagoe) – Maicosuel, Ibisevic
Goals: 1-0 (27’) Naldo, 1-1 (73’) Prince Tagoe, 2-1 (76’) Almeida
Yellow cards: Vorsah, Carlos Eduardo, Salihovic (all Hoffenheim)
Referee: Peter Sippel (Munich)
Weser Stadium: 27,351 spectators
