Werder Bremen held on for a 4-2 victory at home over Nurnberg on the 28th game day despite finishing the game with 10 men. Head coach Thomas Schaaf saw Per Mertesacker score two...
Werder Bremen held on for a 4-2 victory at home over Nurnberg on the 28th game day despite finishing the game with 10 men. Head coach Thomas Schaaf saw Per Mertesacker score two...
Werder Bremen held on for a 4-2 victory at home over Nurnberg on the 28th game day despite finishing the game with 10 men. Head coach Thomas Schaaf saw Per Mertesacker score two goals with Tim Borowski and Clemens Fritz also hitting home. Mike Frantz and Maxim Choupo-Moting struck for Nurnberg. Bremen captain Torsten Frings was shown the red card in the late stages. With the victory, Werder remained unbeaten in their last eight Bundesliga matches.
Werder started the game with Sebastian Mielitz between the posts as No. 1 keeper Tim Wiese (calf problem) and his backup Christian Vander (gastro-intestinal infection) were both out. In addition, Sebastian Prödl, Sebastian Boenisch and Tim Borowski replaced Petri Pasanen, Phiipp Bargfred and the suspended Naldo. Werder had a perfect start to the game, taking the lead after just 40 seconds. Mesut Özil’s corner found Per Mertesacker six yards out and the German international headed home to send the fans at Weser Stadium into euphoria.
Mertesacker headed home another corner kick – this time from Marko Marin – in the 20th minute for a 2-0 advantage for Thomas Schaaf’s team. Nurnberg keeper Raphael Schäfer made a fine save on a Hugo Almeida free kick after just more than half an hour. But the lead was 3-0 after 36 minutes as Tim Borowski struck home Marin’s pass. The game appeared decided with Bremen leading 3-0 at the break.
But the guests from Nurnberg pulled a goal back just two minutes into the second half with Juri Judt feeding Mike Frantz, who beat Sebastian Mielitz from 10 yards and trimmed the deficit to 3-1. The margin was just 3-2 after 62 minutes when Maxim Choupo-Moting converted a penalty after Clemens Fritz handled a ball in the area.
The game was hectic at both ends and Bremen saw their captain Torsten Frings get sent off with a red card in the 82nd minute. Nurnberg tried everything they could for the equaliser in stoppage time, including bringing forward keeper Raphael Schäfer for a corner kick. Werder grabbed the ball and pushed forward quick enough to beat Schäfer back with Clemens Fritz slotting home into the empty goal for the victory.
Werder Bremen: Mielitz – Fritz, Mertesacker, Prödl, Boenisch – Frings, Borowski, Marin (70’ Bargfrede), Özil (70’ Hunt)– Pizarro, Almeida (86’ Pasanen); reserves: Wiedwald – Abdennour, Rosenberg, Husejinovic
Nurnberg: Schäfer – Judt , Wolf, Maron, Pinola - Nordtveit – Diekmeier, Ottl (74’ Broich), Frantz (69’ Bunjaku), Gündogan (79’ Charisteas) - Choupo-Moting
Goals: 1-0 (1’) Mertesacker, 2-0 (20’) Mertesacker, 3-0 (36’) Borowski, 3-1 (47’) Frantz, 3-2 (63’ - pen) Choupo-Moting, 4-2 (90’ + 2) Fritz
Yellow card: Gündogan (Nurnberg)
Red card: Frings (82’ – violent conduct)
Referee: Markus Schmidt (Stuttgart)
Weser Stadium: 36,000 spectators
