Werder Bremen’s strong run in the Bundesliga was snapped as they lost 3-2 at home against Nuremberg on the 10th game day of the season. Hugo Almeida and Claudio Pizarro scored...
Werder Bremen’s strong run in the Bundesliga was snapped as they lost 3-2 at home against Nuremberg on the 10th game day of the season. Hugo Almeida and Claudio Pizarro scored...
Werder Bremen’s strong run in the Bundesliga was snapped as they lost 3-2 at home against Nuremberg on the 10th game day of the season. Hugo Almeida and Claudio Pizarro scored the goals for Thomas Schaaf’s team. But Ilkay Gündogan scored two goals for Nuremberg and Mehmet Ekici also scored.
After collecting three wins and a draw in their last three Bundesliga matches, Thomas Schaaf made one change to his line-up following their disappointing German Cup loss at Bayern Munich with Hugo Almeida replacing Clemens Fritz. Schaaf had hoped that Petri Pasanen could replace Philipp Bargfrede but the Finnish international Pasanen told the coach he was injured just minutes before the kick-off. The Green-Whites had a perfect start to the game with Hugo Almeida passing out to Marko Marin and then heading home Marin’s cross for a 1-0 lead after five minutes. Bremen had a number of chances to double the advantage but Marin and Almeida could not beat Nuremberg keeper Rafael Schäfer in the 13th minute. And Marko Arnautovic could not use two chances in the 22nd and 23rd minutes. Nuremberg made Bremen pay for not using their chances by equalising 1-1 in the 45th minute with Gündogan hitting home Julian Schieber’s cross. And the teams were knotted at 1-1 at the break.
Schaaf’s team could not have started the second half any worse as Nuremberg took the lead 2-1 lead in the 47th minute. Schieber’s shot was blocked to Ekici, who hit home for Nuremberg. The Werder coach reacted with a double substitution after 59 minutes with Aaron Hunt replacing Bargfrede and Daniel Jansen entering for Mikael Silvestre. But it was Nuremberg who scored the next goal on a curious scene. Gündogan’s shot hit the crossbar with the rebound going to Schieber, whose attempt blasted off the left post. The rebound went back to Gündogan, whose shot deflected off Werder’s Torsten Frings and in to make it 3-1 after 73 minutes. Sandro Wagner came on for Marko Arnautovic in the 79th minute and Claudio Pizarro pulled a goal back two minutes into stoppage time to make it 3-2. But it was not enough as Bremen saw their four-game undefeated streak in the Bundesliga snapped.
Werder Bremen: Mielitz – Wesley, Mertesacker, Prödl, Silvestre (59’ Jensen) – Frings, Bargfrede (59’ Hunt), Marin, Arnautovic (79’ Wagner) – Pizarro, Almeida
Nuremberg: Schäfer – Judt, Wolf, Nilsson, Pinola – Simons, Cohen (55’ Hegeler), Ekici, Gündogan (89’ Mintal) , Frantz (74’ Eigler) – Schieber
Goals: 1-0 Almeida (5’), 1-1 Gündogan (45’), 1-2 Ekici (47’), 1-3 Gündogan (73’), 2-3 Pizarro (90’)
Yellow cards: Prödl, Bargfrede (Werder) – Cohen, Ekici (Nuremberg)
Referee: Christian Dingert (Thallichtenberg)
Weser Stadium: 35,500 spectators (sold out)
