First Half Dominance Enough To Halt Hertha

First Team
Sunday, 03.12.2006 / 08:54

On the fifteenth match day of the season, Werder Bremen beat Hertha BSC Berlin 3:1 (3:1) to regain top spot in the Bundesliga, at least for 24 hours.

On the fifteenth match day of the season, Werder Bremen beat Hertha BSC Berlin 3:1 (3:1) to regain top spot in the Bundesliga, at least for 24 hours. In front of a 40,100 strong crowd at the Weser Stadium saw Diego give the home side the lead from the penalty spot (24’) but a minute later Josip Simunic drew the visitors back level. Miroslav Klose then showed his stunning abilities to snatch a brace, still in the first half, to seal Hertha’s first defeat after a five game unbeaten run.

 

Thomas Schaaf didn’t see the need to make any changes to the side which convincingly beat Armenia Bielefeld last weekend. Diego, having sat out his suspension returned to the starting eleven. Tim Borowski slotted back into his usual roll on the left side of midfield to free the position behind the strikers for the Brazilian. It was Christian Schulz who drew the short straw and had to settle for a place on the bench.

 

High tempo beginning

 

Werder Bremen were present from the first blow of the whistle from referee Herbert Fandel. With just two minutes gone, Diego set an overhead kick just inches over the crossbar and two minutes later the Hertha keeper Christian Fiedler had to be alert to prevent a cross from Pierre Womé reaching the on-coming Hugo Almeida (4’). A shot on the spin by Tim Borowski (9’) and a header by Per Mertesacker from a Torsten Frings corner (13’) also came close to giving Werder the lead but the Green-Whites would have to be patient. Fiedler managed to cover a pass from Daniel Jensen which was destined for Miroslav Klose but in the next scene the keeper was helpless.

 

Clemens Fritz made an energetic burst down the right into the penalty area and when Simunic stopped the Werder mans run with his right arm, referee Fandel had no choice but to point to the penalty spot. Diego stepped up to take the spot kick and slotted the ball inside the left post to make it 1:0 (24’). The side from the capital, who until now had no luck in creating any openings against a determined and aggressive Werder side, suddenly found themselves with their first real chance – and took it. Gilbertos swung in a free-kick from the right wing which Srdjan Lakic got his head to. In the six yard box, Miro Klose swiped over the ball, leaving Simunic free to place the loose ball home (25’).

 

Werder’s striker was quick to make his ‘Fauxpas’ good again. From a Womé cross, the German international rose to head back against the run of the keeper from five meters to put the home side back in the driving seat (32’). Before the break the unstoppable Klose struck again. Kevin Boateng’s misplaced pass in the midfield fell straight to the feet of Daniel Jensen. The Dane picked out Klose with his pass and with a stunning swerve of the upper body Bremen’s top scorer left Simunic trailing in his wake and blasted past the keeper with his left boot to make it 3:1. Kloses tenth of the season saw him take pole position in the Bundesliga goal scoring rankings.

 

Wiese put to the test

 

After the half time break it was the visitors who looked the fresher. Tim Wiese was forced to punch down a 20 meter drive from Lakic (47’). Both Naldo (50’) and Hugo Almeida (56’) put headers over the crossbar early in the second period which were to be the only real openings for Werder in the second period. Hertha turned up the heat. Ashkan Dejagah hammered a shot from 20 meters just wide of the upright (58’). The Werder keeper somehow managed to get his fists up to block down another drive from the young talent (64’). Both Boateng (65’) and substitute Sofian Chahed (71’) also failed to make use of the chances which came their way.

 

When Simunic did eventually get the ball in the net again to give Hertha a fighting chance (72’), the referee saw his linesman’s flag was raised and the goal was disallowed for off-side – a tight call!! Werder Bremen were far from the impulsive attacking force of the first 45 minutes but with Wiese again on hand to turn away an effort from Gilbertos from a narrow angle (86’), the home side rode out the Berlin efforts and took the three points which left the crowd at the Weser celebrating the return to the top spot.

 

Johnnie Muldoon

 

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