3:2 Win In Zagreb - Werder In The Champions League

First Team
Thursday, 30.08.2007 / 10:40

The job is done!!! Werder Bremen have added the icing to the success of the 2006/2007 by qualifying for the Champions League yet again after a spectacular performance against Dinamo in Zagreb.

The job is done!!! Werder Bremen have added the icing to the success of the 2006/2007 by qualifying for the Champions League yet again after a spectacular performance against Dinamo in Zagreb. At the Maksimir Stadium in the Croatian capital, last season’s third placed side in the Bundesliga beat Dinamo Zagreb 3:2 (2:2), (first leg 2:1 for the Green-Whites),to claim their place in the group stage of the Champions League 2007/2008. Werder took the lead three time on the night through Diego from the spot (13’ and 70’) and Sanogo (38’). The HNL league leaders from Zagreb were twice able to equalise through Vukojevic (19’) and Modric (41’ pen) but it was to be Werder Bremen’s night in the end.

 

Over-motivated beginning by the Croatians

 

Werder started with ten of the same players who began on Saturday and picked up the first three pointer of the season for the Bremen club against Nuremberg (1:0). The only exception was the introduction of Boubacar Sanogo in place of Markus Rosenberg in the starting eleven. The Dinamo coach Ivankovic made a couple of changes to the side which started in Bremen a fortnight ago, bringing the Brazilian Carlos and Mandzukic for Cale and Sokota. A highly motivated Zagreb side started the game in aggressive fashion. With just two minutes played, Ognjen Vukojevic welcomed Diego to the Croatian capital with an elbow check and escaped without warning. The Bremen playmaker gave his reaction to the incident in a stunning 90 minute performance on the pitch.

 

Werder were not quite as affected by the fanatical atmosphere at the Maksimir Stadium as the home side appeared to be. The visitors were secure at the back and allowed their hosts to run blindly into their off-side trap on numerous occasions whilst at the other end Sanogo and Naldo had a couple of half chances early on. Diego swung a free-kick into the box and as Hugo Almeida was held off the ball by Vukojevic, the excellent referee Hauge was perfectly placed to spot the incident and correctly awarded Werder a penalty. Diego stepped up to take the spot kick and coolly slotted the ball into the bottom left hand corner to rob Zagreb of the advantage of their away goal in Bremen (13’). The home side appeared to grasp the graveness of the situation and got stuck in. Sammir attemted to strike on goal but had his shot blocked away by Naldo (19’). Two minutes later, Frank Baumann failed to deal with a break down the right by Vukojevic and as the Croatian shot, the Werder captain managed to get a touch on the ball but only succeeded in deflecting the effort out of Tim Wiese’s reach. 1:1, Dinamo had found a quick answer to the Werder lead.

 

With their tails up, Zagreb raised the pressure on Tim Wiese’s goal and the Werder keeper had to show all of his talent in the 28th minute to scrape a Balban header off the line with a lightening quick reflex. The German club also had some luck on their side as Mandzukic came close (30’) and Balban struck the crossbar (33’). Werder had little to offer and found themselves being forced back by the constant Dinamo onslaught. There was only one exception and the highly effective Bremen side made use of it. Mertesacker cut out a dangerous Dinamo attack and sent Diego on his way forward. The Brazilian went on a mazy run before picking out Almeida with a pass. Georg Koch in the Zagreb goal could only parry the Portuguese international’s shot to the feet of Boubacar Sanogo who thankfully accepted the gift and stuck the ball in the net to make it 2:1 for Werder (38’).

 

A subdued second period follows hectic first

 

A high tempo and action packed first half still wasn’t over. The next venture into the Werder penalty area by the hosts was to lead to the second penalty decision of the match. Christian Schulz brought down Bosko Balban and from the spot, Luka Modric converted to make it 2:2 (41’). Shortly after the referee blew for half time in an interesting and lively tie. There was no doubt that the Zagreb club were willing to use any measure necessary to get past Werder and the second half was opened by another elbow check by Mandzukic which caught Petri Pasanen but the Finnish international shook off the effects and stuck to his defensive tasks.

 

Dinamo remained in the possessional advantage but failed to really trouble their guests. Werder allowed themselves to be pushed well back and too often gave away the ball easily in their own half. The real shining light in the Green-Whites team was Diego. The tricky Brazilian again and again attempted to drive his side forward with forward runs and could only be stopped time and again by fouls. The Brazilian’s display was stunning and in the 70th minute there was to be more proof of that. Diego hammered the third penalty of the match powerfully under the crossbar after he himself was unnecessarily brought down by Etto in a seemingly unthreatening position on the by-line. Werder were now back in front and not about to let the lead slip again. Thomas Schaaf’s defenders were equal to Dinamo’s attempts to press forward. The only real danger came from substitute Guela who managed to get shots forward in the 79th and 93rd minutes. At the other end, Pasanen tried his luck with a 30 meter hammer (81’), whilst Markus Rosenberg shot just wide from 20 meters out and Diego had a late effort punched away by Koch (93’). Werder had done the job they set out to do and qualified for the group stages of the Champions League for the fourth time on the trot.

 

Johnnie Muldoon

 

Dinamo Zagreb - Werder Bremen 2:3

 

Dinamo Zagreb: Koch – Etto (78. Guela), Drpic, Schildenfeld, Carlos – Vukojevic, Pokrivac (62. Vugrinec) – Sammir (75. Mikic), Mandzukic – Modric – Balaban

 

Werder Bremen: Wiese – Pasanen, Mertesacker, Naldo, Schulz (81. Tošiæ) – Baumann, Jensen, Vranjes, Diego – Sanogo (76. Rosenberg), Hugo Almeida (68. Harnik); auf der Bank: Vander, Niemeyer, Andreasen Schindler

 

Goals: 0:1 Diego (13., Foulelfmeter), 1:1 Vukojevic (21.), 1:2 Sanogo (38.), 2:2 Modric (41., Foulelfmeter), 2:3 Diego (70., Foulelfmeter)

 

Yellow cards: Koch, Modric, Vukojevic, Carlos, Etto – Schulz, Hugo Almeida

 

Referee: Hauge (Norwegen)

 

Attendance: "Maksimir"-Stadion: 34.000

 

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