Werder Bremen pulled off an impressive display and win against title holders Bayern Munich at the Weser Stadium on the eight match day of the season. The Green-Whites won the north-south battle 3:1 (2:1) to maintain top spot in the table.
Werder Bremen pulled off an impressive display and win against title holders Bayern Munich at the Weser Stadium on the eight match day of the season. The Green-Whites won the north-south battle 3:1 (2:1) to maintain top spot in the table.
Werder Bremen pulled off an impressive display and win against title holders Bayern Munich at the Weser Stadium on the eight match day of the season. The Green-Whites won the north-south battle 3:1 (2:1) to maintain top spot in the table. Diego put Werder in front in a hard fought tie with a shot which he hammered under the crossbar (11’). Pierre Womé doubled the home sides lead with a well placed free-kick to score his first in Green-White. (34’). Three minutes later Roy Makaay shot Bayern back into the match but a second half own goal from Lucio on the hour put the tie well and truly beyond the visitors.
Schulz out at short notice
The match was set underway by referee Herbert Fandel in front of a capacity 42,500 fans at the Weser Stadium with pictures being beamed to 93 countries world wide. Surprisingly not on the pitch for the kick-off was Christian Schulz. The youngster picked up an injury whilst warming up and was replaced in the starting eleven on the left side of midfield by Jurica Vranjes. Frank Baumann also returned to his set position in front of the back four after recovering from an achilles injury.
Werder were alert and active from the outset as thy were against Bochum and Gladbach and created their first opening with just a minute gone. Baumann knocked a Diego pass on to Naldo who tested Bayern keeper Oliver Kahn with a header. Five minutes later Torsten Frings let a shot fly after collecting a loose ball from a Naldo free-kick but couldn’t keep his effort on target.
Diego does it again
The pressure from Werder was beginning to get to Bayern and Kahn’s unfair and unnecessary bash into Diego was the first sign on nerves beginning to fray amongst the visitors. The little Brazilian had his own way of producing Kahn with a pay back and as Frings played a through ball towards the box, Diego turned fellow country man Lucio inside out before hammering the ball against the underside of the crossbar into the net. A stunning drive to make it 1:0 (10’).
The goal proved further inspiration for an already fired up Bremen side who combined, passed, controlled and at the same time appeared to be having fun in seeing Bayern struggle to get out of their own half of the pitch. The first chance fell to the visitors through ex-Bremen man Claudio Pizarro who attempted to lob Tim Wiese, albeit from an offside position, but Per Mertesacker was on hand to clear the ball from the goal line.
Bayern began to get more of the play after a half hour and Wiese was called into action again to deny Bastian Schweinsteiger who powered in a shot from distance. Just as the guests appeared to be coming alive, Werder struck again. Left full-back Pierre Womé fired in a 25 yard free-kick past the Bayern wall and into the bottom left corner – 2:0 (34’).
Unfortunately for Werder the goal celebrations didn’t last long before the Munich side were back in the tie. Pizarro won a header in the box and the ball fell for Roy Makaay who took on the awkward shot well and powered it home past a chanceless Wiese (37’). Lucio came close to equalising before the break with a well placed drive but Wiese got down quickly to palm the effort away and leave the Brazilian frustrated.
Lucio own goal decides the tie
After the break, Bayern made the better start and with just three minutes played, Miro Klose somehow managed to clear a 100% chance for Daniel van Buyten in his own six yard box. At the other end, the fans in the stadium were screaming for a penalty as Klose went down under a challenge from Kahn but but referee Fandel was correct in allowing play to continue.
The game had now nowhere near the power and tempo of the first half . The visitors had the better of the play and even had a chance to equalise through a van Buyten header before the decisive action of the tie. Aaron Hunt passed to Womé who crossed into the box where Lucio stuck out a leg to clear but only succeeded in turning the ball into his own net and make it 3:1 for Werder.
With a two goal lead Werder took their foot off the pedal and allowed Bayern to come at them but a solid Werder defence never looked to be threatened with Mertesacker and Naldo clearing everything that Bayern could throw at them. Hunt had a chance to make it four but Kahn was alert and the game finished with a deserved win for the home team.
