Werder Bremen have done it!! The Green-Whites won the 'Final' for the direct qualifying place for the Champions League with a 2:1 away win against Hamburg SV.
Werder Bremen have done it!! The Green-Whites won the 'Final' for the direct qualifying place for the Champions League with a 2:1 away win against Hamburg SV.
Werder Bremen have done it!! The Green-Whites won the 'Final' for the direct qualifying place for the Champions League with a 2:1 away win against Hamburg SV. Ivan Klasnic gave the visitors the lead on 28 minutes in a bustling end to end game that became yet more dramatic in the second half. HSV put on the pressure in the second period and were rewarded for their efforts when Barbarez equalised on the hour. Once again though it was Miroslav Klose who popped up to win the day for Werder with a strike in the 72nd minute.
Trainer Thomas Schaaf made two changes to the side which trotted to a 6:0 win against Cologne last weekend bringing two Hamburg players into his starting eleven. Patrick Owomoyela replaced the injured Leon Andreasen and Ivan Klasnic got the nod ahead of Nelson Valdez.
The burning tension of the 84th north derby was recognisable from the out-set. The opening phase was somewhat defensive with neither side wanting to risk making a mistake. HSV had the first good chance of the game in the seventh minute when Timothee Atouba was left unmarked and got his head to a free-kick. Not much else happened around the goal areas during the next period with the flow of the game specaled with miss placed passes and niggly fouls.
Klasnic puts Werder ahead
Werder had their first real chance on goal in the 28th minute and had an immediate effect. A Tim Borowski corner was blocked away at first but then with interventions from Naldo and Pasanen, the ball fell to Frank Fahrenhorst who attempted to take the ball on the volley but Atouba got a toe poke on the pill and knocked the ball to the feet of Miroslav Klose. The leagues top scorer drove a shot goalwards where Ivan Klasnic dived in and got his left foot on the ball to push it over the line - 0:1. HSV reacted instantly and Barbarz pickked up on a Naldo mistake to set Ailton through. The Brazilian let fly only to see his shot go just centimeters wide (34'). Two minutes later Benjamin Lauth touched an Atouba cross over the crossbar.
Werder held on to their slender lead into the half-time break. For the second half, the inhibitions of both sides were left in the tunnel and a racy, action-packed match which would decide the team who qualify directly for the Champions League ensued. HSV had the better of the early stages of the second 45 minutes and were determined to equalise. Werder reacted cautiously and passively. The visitors also had luck on their side when, in the 50th minute, referee Dr. Markus Merk waved away a penalty shout after Christian Schulz clashed with David Jarolim in the box - a let off for the Green-Whites.
Barbarez levels on the hour
Hamburg kept the pressure on and reaped their rewards ten minutes later. Trochowski delivered a free-kick into the box where Barbarez escaped his marker Naldo and headed the HSV equaliser. Tim Wiese got a hand to the header but could only help the ball over the line. Ailton could, and probably should have, issued his ex-team mates the killer blow in the 65th minute. On the break, Barbarez selflessly laid off to the Brazilian who somehow managed to skew the ball wide of an empty goal from eight meters out - a stunning scene!!
Werder were still very much in the game but desperately needed a win. With that in mind, Thomas Schaaf decided it was time to throw caution to the wind in the 67th minute and bring striker Valdez for defender Pasanen. Firstly though Werder had some work to do at the back. Again Barbarez fed Ailton who was stopped by Wiese as was Lauth from the follow up (70'). The main difference between the sides was their effectivity in front of goal. While HSV were wasting their chances monotonously, Miroslav Klose needed only a sniff of goal to hit the target.
Klose's 25th goal of the season proves vital
It was in the 72nd minute that the German international again proved the form he has found this season. Naldo nodded on a neatly weighted delivery from Daniel Jensen and Klose somehow managed to get himself in between both Boulahrouz and Demel to get his left foot to the ball and lob over the HSV keeper to make it 1:2 - the 25th goal of the season for the new BUndesliga to goalscorer of the 2005/2006 season.
The home side reacted with aggressive attacks on the Werder goal with the visitors happy to wait for the opportunity to counter attack. One such break led to Kirschstein in the HSV goal bringing off a stunning reflex save to deny Klose a second. At the other end, Wiese did well to clear the ball from the feet of Trochowski as he attempted to round the keeper (77).
Seven minutes before the end, Dr. Markus Merk did point to the penalty spot after Nelson Valdez went down under a challenge from Boulahrouz. Tim Borowski took on the responsibility but saw his placed shot bounce back into play from the inside of the right post - a nervous final few minutes for the away team.
HSV threw all they had at Werder until the final whistle but it was a fruitless effort. At 5:20pm the final whistle was blown and the deal was done. For the third season in a row, the Green-Whites would be participating in the Champions League. Thanks to an inspired run-in, Werder Bremen managed to catch Hamburg and then overtake them in the final minutes of a successful season. The perfect end to a hard fought year of football.
Johnnie Muldoon
Hamburger SV – Werder Bremen 1:2 (0:1)
Hamburger SV: Kirschstein - Mahdavikia, Boulahrouz, van Buyten, Atouba - Demel (81. Takahara) - Jarolim, Trochowski - Barbarez - Lauth (89. Reinhardt), Ailton
Werder Bremen: Wiese - Pasanen (67. Valdez), Fahrenhorst, Naldo, Schulz - Frings - Owomoyela, D. Jensen (90. van Damme) - Borowski - Klose (80. Lagerblom), Klasnic; auf der Bank: Vander, Baumann, Polenz
Goals: 0:1 Klasnic (27.), 1:1 Barbarez (59.), 1:2 Klose (72.)
Referee: Dr. Merk (Otterbach)
Attendance: AOL-Arena: 57.000 (sold-out)
Yellow cards: Boulahrouz, Ailton, Demel, Jarolim - Borowski, D. Jensen
Shots on goal: 12 : 11
Corners: 7 : 4
Crosses: 9 : 6
Possession: 52% : 48%
Challenges won: 52% : 48%
Fouls: 22 : 23
Offsides: 9 : 1
Most shots on goal: Lauth, Ailton (3) – Borowski, Klose (3)
Most assists: Barbarez (3) – Naldo, Klasnic (2)
Most individual ball poessession: Atouba (83) – Schulz (70)
Strongest tackler: Ailton (80%) – Naldo (65%)
