Werder Bremen started their 2010-11 Bundesliga season on a sour note as they lost to Hoffenheim 4-1 with a disappointed showing. Torsten Frings put the Green-Whites ahead by...
Werder Bremen started their 2010-11 Bundesliga season on a sour note as they lost to Hoffenheim 4-1 with a disappointed showing. Torsten Frings put the Green-Whites ahead by...
Werder Bremen started their 2010-11 Bundesliga season on a sour note as they lost to Hoffenheim 4-1 with a disappointed showing. Torsten Frings put the Green-Whites ahead by converting a penalty after a handball. But Demba Ba, Peniel Mlapa, Vedad Ibisevic and Sejad Salihovic all scored in the first half for Hoffenheim to hand Werder a big loss.
Thomas Schaaf used the same line-up at the Rhein Necker Arena which beat Sampdoria Genua 3-1 during the week in the UEFA Champions League qualification. And Werder had a great start, jumping ahead after just 120 seconds. Hugo Almeida’s cross from the right side unluckily struck Marvin Compper on the hand and captain Torsten Frings converted the resulting penalty into the lower left corner to make it 1-0.
Werder remained the dominating team in the game and Claudio Pizarro was unlucky in the sixth minute with his shot being blocked away. But Hoffenheim found their way into the game more and more with the Green-Whites losing their rhythm. Demba Ba equalised 1-1 in the 20th minute with a shot from 15 yards. And Werder keeper Tim Wiese was beaten again in the 36th minute after Peniel Mlapa was fed a fine through ball from the midfield for a score from 15 yards for a 2-1 lead. Werder continued to struggle and watched as Vedad Ibisevic pushed the lead to 3-1 in the 41st minute and Sejad Salihovic struck in the 43rd for the 4-1 score at half-time.
After a disappointing team showing in the first half, coach Schaaf brought on Marko Marin for Aaron Hunt to give the offense a bit more of an impulse. Werder were more motivated out of the changing room but could not really create many chances against a strong Hoffenheim side. The first scoring opportunity of the second half came after 68 minutes with Marko Arnautovic’s shot from 19 yards going just over the Hoffenheim goal. And Claudio Pizarro also missed a chance in the 71st minute. In the end Werder Bremen were left having to accept a bitter 4-1 defeat in their season opener.
Hoffenheim: Starke – Beck, Vorsah, Simunic, Compper (72’ Eichner) – Weis, Luiz Gustavo, Salihovic, Mlapa (77’ Thomalla), Ibisevic, Ba (62’ Vukcevic)
Werder Bremen: Wiese –Fritz, Mertesacker, Prödl, Pasanen – Frings, Bargfrede, Borowski (73’ Wagner), Hunt (46’ Hunt) – Almeida (23’ Arnautovic) , Pizarro; reserves: Mielitz – Boenisch, Rosenberg, Jensen
Goals: 0-1 (3’ pen) Frings, 1-1 (20’) Ba, 2-1 (37’) Mlapa, 3-1 (40’) Ibisevic, 4-1 (43’) Salihovic
Yellow cards: Borowski, Fritz (both Werder) - Eichner (Hoffenheim)
Referee: Günter Perl (Munich)
Rhein-Neckar-Arena: 30,150 spectators (sold out)
