Werder Lose On Ground in Nuremburg

First Team
Sunday, 19.03.2006 / 09:00

A Werder Bremen slip on the 26th matchday of the season saw them lose further ground on the battle to secure a Champions League place.

A Werder Bremen slip on the 26th matchday of the season saw them lose further ground on the battle to secure a Champions League place. Werder lost theri away match in Nuremburg 1:3 (0:2). The host took a 2:0 lead in the first half with goals through Vittek (21') and Schroth (36'). After the break the Green-Whites raised the steaks and pulled themselves back into the game thanks to Miroslav Klose's 18th goal of the season (57'). Vittek ponuced on one of many Werder defensive errors to make the final score 3:1 for 1. FC Nuremburg (69').

 

The visitors began the game with Daniel Jensen and Jurica Vranjes in midfield to replace the injured Frank Baumann and Johan Micoud. From begin on it was clear that Thomas Schaaf's eleven wanted to bannish the ghosts of last weeks 0:3 defeat by Hertha BSC Berlin but only a shot from distance by Patrick Owomoyela which screwed wide of the mark after three minutes was to show for Werders efforts in the opening phase. The recently improved Nuremburg side had problems cutting through a watchful Bremen defence. The hosts had their first half chance after 11 minutes when Saenko knocked a Schroth cross on to Mnari but the Tunesian pulled his shot off target.

 

Poor Schulz pass leads to 0:1

 

Three minutes later the 'Club' had a real chance to take the lead. Polak split the Werder back four with a pass into the run of Reinhardt who squared to the middle where Saenko failed to connect with by centimeters. The picture then began to change in the newly named 'EasyCredit-Stadion'. Bremen had little to offer in attack while their defence began to look increasingly shaky against a Nuremburg side growing in confidence. It was to be a totally unneccessarily miss placed pass in the midfield by Christian Schulz that lead to the first goal of the game. The home team won control and swung immediately into attack. Vittek broke past Fahrenhorst and could then be stopped by neither Naldo nor Jensen before slipping the ball into the left corner past Tim Weise (21'). 0-1.

 

To add to Werders woes, deputy captain Torsten Frings was forced out in the 24th minute with a shin injury he picked up after an overly heavy tackle by Glauber. The young Dane Leon Andreasen took over Frings roll in front of the back four. Despite their determination to cancel out the conceded goal, Werder only managed one further chance in the first half as Frank Fahrenhorst rose to meet a Tim Borowski free-kick but the effort never really troubled FCN goalkeeper Schäfer (25'). It could have been even worse for Bremen two minutes later when Vittek got a ball across the box but Schroth arrived slightly too late to meet it.

 

The Slovakian made better use of his next opportunity and made the second goal for Nuremburg. Polak used the space he had on the right well to pick out Vittek with a perfect pass. Vittek took the ball to the by-line before delivering to the far post where Schroth beat Owomoyela to the ball and crashed it home - 0:2. From that point Werder appeared all at see and the insecurities from the Berlin match were back in full.

 

The team standing in tweleveth place in the table were in complete control of the tie with Werder trapsing behind them. A Pinola free-kick (39') and a Polak effort which struck the post (42') could easily have given Nuremburg a 3:0 half-time lead.

 

Klose throws Werder a lifeline with 18th of the season

 

Thomas Schaaf reacted to the situation during the break and for the second period brought a third striker in place of defender Naldo with Nelson Valdez being entered into the fray. The visitors turned up the heat on their hosts and forced them well back inside their own half but the penalty area remained unknown territory for the Green-Whites - until the 57th minute. Tim Borowski played a pass through to Miroslav Klose who shook off two defenders before beating the advancing Raphael Schäfer to throw Werder a lifeline - 1:2.

 

Werders efforts to find an equaliser were very nearly fruitful on two occasions before the impressive Robert Vittek finally killed off Werder with his second of the match. Firstly Miro Klose went down just outside the box when he clashed with the onrushing Schäfer but the referee allowed play to continue (66'). A correct decision as the Werder striker, who has been awarded for his fairness, admitted later.

 

Vittek on the mark

 

Christian Schulz tested the reactions of the keeper with a powerful volley after a Borowski corner. On the counter Vittek missed his first opportunity to seal the deal when he won the ball from Owomoyela but shot just outside of the post. Thirty seconds later though Vittek got another chanced to reinstate the two goal cushion. After a one-two with Polak, the Slovakian skipped past Andreasen and left Weise without a chance as he placed the ball in the left corner (70').

 

The visitors never looked to threaten the 1:3 deficit of the host side despite Nelson Valdez having a chance to put Werder back in with a chance in the 76th minute. Nuremburg played out the match cleverly and looked closer to a fourth as Werder ever looked to getting back into the game.

 

Johnnie Muldoon

 

1.FC Nürnberg – Werder Bremen 3:1 (2:0)

 

1. FC Nürnberg: Schäfer - Nikl, Cantaluppi, Glauber - Reinhardt, Mnari (62. Paulus), Pinola - Polak (62. L. Müller) - Vittek, Schroth (81. Kießling), Saenko

 

Werder Bremen: Wiese - Owomoyela, Fahrenhorst, Naldo (46. Valdez), Schulz - Vranjes - D. Jensen, Borowski - Frings (24. Andreasen) - Klose, Klasnic; on the bench: Vander, Pasanen, Lagerblom

 

Goals: 1:0 Vittek (21.), 2:0 Schroth (36.), 2:1 Klose (57.), 3:1 Vittek (69.)

 

Referee: Gräfe (Berlin)

 

Attendance: EasyCredit-Stadion: 40.924 Zuschauer

 

Yellow cards: Glauber, Mnari, Schäfer - Klose

 

Shots on goal: 15 : 19

 

Corners: 3 : 7

 

Crosses: 6 : 14

 

Possession: 42% : 58%

 

Tackles won: 48% : 52%

 

Fouls: 17 : 15

 

Offsides: 6 : 1

 

Most shots on goal: Vittek (5) – Borowski, Klose (je 5)

 

Most assists: Vittek (4) – Borowski (6)

 

Most individual ball contact: Reinhardt (50) – Vranjes (85)

 

Strongest tackler: Reinhardt (67%) – Klose (68%)

 

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