The dream is over for Werder Bremen. In the ‘Final’ match which would decide the side which would progress from Champions League Group A, title holders FC Barcelona overcame the Green-Whites with a 2:0 (2:0) win to seal their place in the knock-out stages of the competition. In front of an outstanding 98,800 strong crowd at the Estadio Nou Camp, Ronaldinho (13’) and Eidur Gudjohnsen (18’) got the goals for the Catalan club. The result means Werder Bremen finish third in the group and will join the knock-out phase of the UEFA Cup in Spring.
Thomas Schaaf started with the same eleven which took to the pitch against Hertha BSC Berlin last weekend. For FC Barcelona, Ronaldinho, Gianluca Zambrotta, Rafael Marquez, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Thiago Motta were all rested at the weekend but returned to the fray for the ‘Final’, following Barca’s disappointing 1:1 draw with UD Levante.
Break-neck first 45 minutes
The 18 time Spanish champions got off at a lightening pace and never gave their visitors a chance to get into the game, at the same time creating a row of chances for themselves. From a cross from Ludovic Giuly, Eidur Gudjohnsen was just inches away from connecting (4’). The French winger tested Tim Wiese with a volley from the edge of the box which the Werder keeper was equal to (10’). Subsequently the keeper was left very exposed by his defensive wall after the referee had awarded a free-kick for a seemingly harmless challenge by Pierre Womé on Ronldinho. The Brazilian took on the free-kick from twenty yards out himself and as the wall took the decision to jump, Ronaldinho saw his opportunity and picked out a gap, driving his shot low to make it 1:0 for the home side (13’).
Before Werder had the chance to gather their thoughts and reform, Ronaldinho was already setting up his sides second. The Brazilian superstar switched flanks with a pass from left to right where Giuly excellently controlled the ball and breezing goal wards, behind a defence at sixes and sevens, picked out Gudjohnsen who only had the keeper to beat to make it 2:0 (18’). All Werder had to offer in the first half was a Diego effort which Carles Puyol blocked down (8’) but there was otherwise no way through for the visitors against a host side who were aggressive in their determination to win the ball and shifted forward with an impressive display of short passing.
Barcelona could have further extended their lead before the break with Giuly hitting a shot with his left just wide of the post (20’). Then Gudjohnsen jinked his way past three Werder defenders and let fly, only to see his shot bounce back into the field of play from the upright. The rebound fell directly to the feet of Giuly but the Frenchman was unable to guide the ball back goal wards and sliced his effort well wide of the mark (35’). The only real danger for Barca’s keeper Victor Valdes was a powerful Naldo free-kick which whizzed just over the crossbar (38’).
Werder up the antie
After the break, Werder made the more impressive start and had the bulk of the possession in a game which had distinctly dropped in tempo. Tim Borowski tested Valdes with a shot from a tight angle (46’), whilst Miroslav Klose bustled his way past Marquez into the box but couldn’t turn his shot from six meters out on target (53’). Barcelona were happy to stand deep in their own half of the pitch, allow Werder to come at them and wait for their own chance to hit on the counter. Once such attack was launced by Ronaldinho, who picked out Gudjohnsen with a pass over 40 meters, but the combination of Wiese and Naldo foiled the Icelandic internationals chance to score (57’).
The Green-Whites were not without chances. Valdes was alert to turn away a shot from Diego which Hugo Almeida turned goal bound (61’). Then Daniel Jensen hit a cross in which foxed everyone who expected the ball to land out of play but instead cracked off the angle of post and bar back into play where Almeida was also caught unawares and couldn’t turn the ball back on goal. At the other end Wiese was again clearing from the feet of Gudjohnsen, having been put under pressure by a poor back header from Pierre Womé (65’). With nine minutes to go, the Werder keeper was called into play again to sprint from his goal and clear from the feet of substitute Xavi (81’). A bouncing, bobbling effort by Tim Borowski caused Valdes some problems but Thuram was quickest to react to clear the ball his keeper had spilled (90’). The progression of Barcelona to the latter stages of the Champions League never really looked in danger despite the brave efforts of Werder Bremen during the second half.
Johnnie Muldoon