Werder Bremen missed a chance to defend the German Cup title and capture their seventh cup crown with a 4-0 loss against record 15-time champions Bayern Munich at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium...
Werder Bremen missed a chance to defend the German Cup title and capture their seventh cup crown with a 4-0 loss against record 15-time champions Bayern Munich at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium...
Werder Bremen missed a chance to defend the German Cup title and capture their seventh cup crown with a 4-0 loss against record 15-time champions Bayern Munich at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium. Arjen Robben, Ivica Olic, Franck Ribery and Bastian Schweinsteiger all scored for Munich. Green-White captain Torsten Frings was sent off in the second half with a second yellow card and Bremen could not score against Bayern.
Bremen head coach Thomas Schaaf had to make a change in his line-up as Petri Pasanen was injured in the final training and replaced in the left backfield by Sebastian Boenisch. In attack, Aaron Hunt started in favour of Marko Marin. Bayern controlled the ball early on and Bremen keeper Tim Wiese was tested after just three minutes, fending just over his framework Arjen Robben’s blast. Bremen were close after eight minutes but Claudio Pizarro, Torsten Frings and Aaron Hunt could not overcome Hans Joerg Butt. The Green-Whites eventually began investing more offensively after about 25 minutes. Munich, however, remained the more dangerous side and Robben shot just wide left at the half-hour mark. Robben gave Bayern the lead after 35 minutes, coverting a penalty after Per Mertesacker had handled a ball in the area in a challenge against Ivica Olic. Bayern had a dangerous counter attack just before the break but Thomas Mueller was off target. And the teams went into the changing rooms with Bayern leading 1-0.
For the start of the second half, Thomas Schaaf brought in Hugo Almeida in favour of Hunt in the attack. And Almeida was close twice within the first two minutes but shot wide. Bayern doubled the lead at the 51-minute mark through Olic, who poked home a corner which had deflected off Mertesacker. Schaaf knew his team needed more offence and he subbed in Marko Marin for Philipp Bargfrede. But Sebastian Boenisch needed to save Thomas Mueller’s attempt at the line after 54 minutes. The lead was 3-0 on 63 minutes with Franck Ribery beating Wiese on a counter attack. Werder refused to give up but Butt saved Claudio Piarro’s header a couple minutes later. Captain Torsten Frings was shown off with 13 minutes left for his second warning. Bastian Schweinsteiger finished off Bremen for good with his counter attack goal in the 83rd minute. In the end, Bayern were the stronger team on this day and Bremen could not solve the Munich defence or stop the Bayern offence.
Goals: 0-1 Robben (35’), 0-2 Olic (51’), 0-3 Ribéry (63’), 0-4 Schweinsteiger (83’)
Yellow cards: Fritz, Borowski (both Werder) - Van Bommel, Olic (both Bayern)
Yellow-red card: Frings
Referee: Thorsten Kinhöfer (Herne)
Olympic Stadium: 75,420 spectators (sold out)
Werder Bremen: Wiese, Boenisch, Naldo, Mertesacker, Fritz – Özil, Borowski (70’ Jensen), Hunt (46’ Almeida), Frings, Bargfrede (54’ Marin), Pizarro – reserves: Wiedwald, Prödl, Abdennour, Niemeyer.
Bayern Munich: Butt, Van Buyten, Demichelis, Lahm, Badstuber, Van Bommel, Müller (77’ Tymoshuck), Schweinsteiger, Ribéry, Robben, Olic (80’ Klose) – reserves: Rensing, Pranjic, Contento, Altintop, Gomez
