Werder Bremen failed to reach the quarterfinals of the Europa League despite a 4-4 draw in the Round of 16 return leg at home against Spanish side FC Valencia following a 1-1 draw....
Werder Bremen failed to reach the quarterfinals of the Europa League despite a 4-4 draw in the Round of 16 return leg at home against Spanish side FC Valencia following a 1-1 draw....
Werder Bremen failed to reach the quarterfinals of the Europa League despite a 4-4 draw in the Round of 16 return leg at home against Spanish side FC Valencia following a 1-1 draw in the first leg. Valencia advanced on away goals with a 5-5 aggregate score. David Villa scored three goals and Juan Manuel also tallied for Valencia. Hugo Almeida, Torsten Frings, Marko Marin and Claudio Pizarro scored for Werder.
The 24,200 spectators saw a spectacular football match though Werder were not concentrated enough in the first half, especially on defence. The Werder backline did not stack up to a European level and looked bad on all four Spanish goals. The first score came before two full minutes were played. Naldo’s clearance pass was too short and landed at the feet of David Silva, who passed over to Villa and the Spanish international beat Bremen keeper Tim Wiese to the far right corner. And it was 2-0 after 15 minutes as Silva had space to find Mata, who also left Wiese with no chance.
Thomas Schaaf reacted immediately to the deficit and brought on striker Hugo Almeida for Tim Borowski after 22 minutes. And the Portuguese international pulled a goal back just four minutes after a fine pass from Claudio Pizarro to make it 2-1. Hope once again filled Weser Stadium, which was witnessing an offensive match by both teams. But the Werder defence was beat again just before the intermission with Silva feeding Villa again and it was 3-1 for Valencia at half-time.
Werder came out of the locker room in good form and Schaaf’s team was awarded a penalty after 55 minutes when Marko Marin was taken down in the area. Torsten Frings stepped up to the spot and converted to trim the margin to 3-2. And Bremen equalised just seven minutes later as Mesut Özil’s passed a free kick to Marin, whose shot was slightly deflected past the Valencia keeper for a 3-3 score. But the celebrations at Weser Stadium lasted only four minutes as the Spaniards regained the lead on a counter attack, which Villa scored to complete his hat-trick. In the 84th minute, Pizarro headed home Petri Pasanen’s cross to even the game again at 4-4 and set up an exciting final stage. Naldo and Markus Rosenberg both had chances for the game-winning goal for Werder but the Green-Whites could not find the back of the net. And the Spaniards were left celebrating a spot in the final eight.
Werder Bremen: Wiese – Fritz (79’ Rosenberg), Mertesacker, Naldo, Pasanen – Frings, Borowski (22’ Almeida), Özil, Hunt, Marin – Pizarro; reserves: Mielitz – Abdennour, Prödl, Jensen, Rosenberg, Almeida, Husejinovic
FC Valencia: Cesar Sanchez – Miguel, Maduro, Dealbert, Bruno Saltor (46’ Alba) – Marchena (75’ Michel), Baraja – Joaquin (55’ Manuel Fernandes) , Silva, Mata - Villa
Goals: 0-1 (2’) Villa, 0-2 (15’) Mata, 1-2 (26’) Almeida, 1-3 (45’) Villa, 2-3 (57’ pen) Frings, 3-3 (62’) Marin, 3-4 (66’) Villa, 4-4 (84’) Pizarro
Yellow cards: Joaquin, Alba, Miguel, Mata, Baraja (all Valencia) - Rosenberg (Werder)
Referee: Kevin Blom (Netherlands)
Weser Stadium: 24,200 spectators
