Werder Bremen advanced to the UEFA Champions League after a dramatic second leg qualification match at UC Sampdoria Genua. After a 3-1 first leg at home, head coach Thomas Schaaf’s team...
Werder Bremen advanced to the UEFA Champions League after a dramatic second leg qualification match at UC Sampdoria Genua. After a 3-1 first leg at home, head coach Thomas Schaaf’s team...
Werder Bremen advanced to the UEFA Champions League after a dramatic second leg qualification match at UC Sampdoria Genua. After a 3-1 first leg at home, head coach Thomas Schaaf’s team fell behind 3-0 but forced extra time before losing 3-2 to notch a 5-4 aggregate victory and move onto the group stage during a thrilling European Cup night. Giampaolo Pazzini scored two goals and Antonio Cassano added one for Genua while Markus Rosenberg and Claudio Pizarro scored for Werder.
In front of 36,536 fans at the sold-out Luigi Ferraris Stadium, Bremen head coach Thomas Schaaf had to due without Aaron Hunt and Hugo Almeida, bringing on in their place Marko Marin and Sandro Wagner. With the support of the frenetic crowd, Genua started in superb fashion, pressuring Bremen from the opening whistle. And Werder fell behind 1-0 after just eight minutes as Pazzini won a header challenge with Petri Pasanen to nod home Cassano’s cross past Bremen keeper Tim Wiese. And Genua struck again just five minutes later in the 13th minute as Pazzini beat Werder’s passive defence with a volley shot for a 2-0 lead, which was the score at the break.
The flow of the game did not change much in the second half. Even though Werder attempted to find a rhythm it was the Italians who displayed more passion, aggressiveness and motivation. Late in the game Werder pushed forward looking for an away goal and watched as Cassano scored to make it 3-0 in the 85th minute. And just as the crowd’s celebrations of advancing to the Champions League were getting louder and louder, Markus Rosensberg, who was subbed in after 72 minutes for Wagner, blasted home from 22 yards three minutes into stoppage time to set up an extra session.
Werder dealt better with the Italians’ pressure in extra time and controlled the game from there on with Genua losing their strength and concentration. Bremen struck again in the 100th minute as Marin used a fine solo effort to feed Claudio Pizarro who hit home from 24 yards to make it 3-2 for the Italians but enough for the Green-Whites. And that gave Werder a 5-4 aggregate victory and a spot in the UEFA Champions League.
Sampdoria Genua: Curci - Stankevicius, Volta, Gastaldello, Ziegler - Semioli, Palombo, Dessena, Guberti (66’ Tissone) (74’ Mannini) - Pazzini, A. Cassano (90’ Pozzi)
Werder Bremen: Wiese - Fritz, Mertesacker, Prödl, Pasanen (79’ Boenisch) - Frings, Borowski (63’ Arnautovic), Bargfrede, Marin - Pizarro - Wagner (72’ Rosenberg)
Goals: 1-0 Pazzini (8’), 2-0 Pazzini (13’), 3-0 Cassano (85’), 3-1 Rosenberg (90’+3), 3-2 Pizarro (100’)
Yellow cards: Dessena (23’), Gastaldello (77’), Palombo (88’) - Prödl (14’), Arnautovic (79’), Pizarro (94’)
Referee: Viktor Kassai (Hungary)
Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris: 36,536 spectators
