Werder Bremen were beaten 3:0 by Espanyol Barcelona in their UEFA-Cup semi final first leg tie and have a mountain to climb in a weeks time at the Weser Stadium if they are to realise their cup final dream.
Werder Bremen were beaten 3:0 by Espanyol Barcelona in their UEFA-Cup semi final first leg tie and have a mountain to climb in a weeks time at the Weser Stadium if they are to realise their cup final dream.
Werder Bremen were beaten 3:0 by Espanyol Barcelona in their UEFA-Cup semi final first leg tie and have a mountain to climb in a weeks time at the Weser Stadium if they are to realise their cup final dream. To add insult to injury, Tim Wiese was sent off during the tie and will not be available for the second leg. The keeper saw red in the 58th minute as he raced from his area and fouled as the last man. By this stage it was already 2:0 for the home side after goals from Moises Hurtado (20’) and Pandiani (50’). Coro made the final score 3:0 in the 87th minute with a cooly finished counter attack.
Thomas Schaaf made only one chance to the starting eleven which beat Alemannia Aachen at the weekend. Daniel Jensen returned to the first side in place of Jurica Vranjes. It was changes all around for Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde who is a firm believer in the rotation system. The coach brought in Lacruz, David Garcia, Rufete, de la Pena and Tamudo instead of Zabaleta, Chica, Jonatas, Coro and Luis Garcia. The trainer stuck to his guns and played his UEFA Cup goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz rather than first choice in the league Idriss Kameni.
Dominant Bremen beginnings, Barcelona break the deadlock
Espanyol’s newly formed eleven took some time to find their feet and Werder made use of their uncertainty to dominate the opening stages of the tie. The visitors put the pressure on, maintaining two thirds of the possession in the first fifteen minutes. With just four minutes on the clock, Miroslav Klose brought a Clemens Fritz cross under control on his chest but the striker was challenged just as he attempted to shoot and drove his effort high and wide.
The Spanish side looked on as Werder pressed until the 18th minute and then decided it was time to launch some attacks of their own. Tim Wiese managed to punch the ball clear from Espanyol’s first corner but as the loose ball was returned, the Werder keeper found he had to pick the ball out of the back of his net. Daniel Jarque had back heeled the ball past the Werder goalkeeper but was clearly in an off-side position and the goal didn’t stand. The Spaniard’s didn’t take long to rectify the situation and just two minutes later everything was legal and above board. Ivan de la Pena played a corner from the right to Rufete who was unmarked on the edge of the box and could cross unchallenged into the box where Patrick Owomoyela had left Moises Hurtado all alone and the Espanyol man rose well to head his side into the lead – 1:0.
Werder shook off the disappointment of going behind very quickly and pressed forward again. Their attacking nature was almost rewarded in the 22nd minute as Diego pounced on a poor, attempted clearance and passed out to Torsten Frings. The German international drove a powerful shot goalwards but Iriazoz was equal to the effort. Werder’s will and determination alone were not going to be enough to break down the compact Spanish defence. A lack of invention and too many misplaced passes were combined with the lightening counter attacking football of the hosts to leave Werder’s game looking sparce.
Werder had two further possibilities to draw level before the break. First Naldo came close with a header from a Frings cross (30’) before both Klose and Diego at full stretch both failed to connect with another Frings delivery (35’). The Catalan club were growing in confidence as the game progressed and Wiese had to be alert to make a save from a driven effort from Lacruz (43’). Naldo had to clear with his head just before the break as Riera struck a shot on goal but the Brazilian defender was able to clear the danger.
Caught ice-cold : Werder slip further behind
All hopes Werder may have had of quickly equalising in the second period after an evenly matched first half were dashed with just five minutes of the second period played. Once again it was a de la Pena corner which would do the damage. The ball was driven powerfully towards the front post and Walter Pandiani stole in to flick the ball past a stranded Tim Wiese to make it 2:0. It was the 11th goal in the tournament for the Uruguayean and this time Werder didn’t recover from the shock so quickly.
The Bundesliga’s best attacking side looked anything but as inspired in front of goal as they had of late and their more passive approach against an aggressive Spanish side was simply too little. Mistakes lead to work for Tim Wiese, who could clear the danger as Tamudo made his first goal bound movement but as the striker attacked for a second time, the Werder keeper was forced to leave his penalty area in an attempt to clear. Wiese took more man than ball and the Norwegian referee had little choice but to brandish the red card (68’). Another bitter European experience for the Werder goalkeeper who would have to sit out the final 32 minutes of the game with his side reduced to ten men.
Espanyol take it in their stride
Andreas Reinke replaced Tim Wiese between the posts at the expense of Daniel Jensen but the story continued. Werder were too easily disposessed in the opponents half of the pitch and rarely looked even likely of scoring. In the 73rd minutes Diego brushed past a number of defenders and attempted to pick out Klose on the back post but the pass eluded the Werder number 11. Espanyol had their tails up and had further chances to extend their lead through Riera (77’) and Rufete (82’) before they eventually got their third of the night. Jurica Vranjes lost the ball going forward and Ortega broke down the left before picking out Coro bursting through the centre. The Espanyol substitute had now problems pushing the ball past the Werder keeper to make it 3:0 (87’).
Werder’s closest effort of the second period to chalk up an away goal fell to Petri Pasanen in the 95th minute. The Finn struck a pile-driver from 20 meters out but again Irizoz was on hand to deny Werder. To rub salt into Werder’s gaping wounds, in the last action of the game Clemens Fritz picked up a yellow card which will mean he cannot take part in the second leg.
Johnnie Muldoon
