Bremen 3-2 Real Madrid
Werder Bremen breathed fresh life into their UEFA Champions League bid with a 3-2 victory against Group C leaders Real Madrid CF, a result that denied the visitors the point they needed to wrap up qualification early.
Hopes of progress
Bremen still face the harder task, needing to win at Olympiacos CFP to be sure of progressing while Madrid can draw at home to S.S. Lazio, but they will be ecstatic to be in this position thanks to strikes from Markus Rosenberg, Boubacar Sanogo and Aaron Hunt. Robinho and Ruud van Nistelrooy struck for the visitors in a pulsating encounter.
Rosenberg opener
With so much riding on this game, Bremen will have been distraught to lose midfielder Tim Borowski to a late groin injury. They were not alone in suffering a last-minute withdrawal, though, and Fabio Cannavaro's absence due to a virus looked far more significant when Madrid's central defensive pairing of Pepe and Christoph Metzelder were caught napping after just five minutes. Clemens Fritz spun the ball in from the right and after it bounced off Sanogo's shoulder, Rosenberg bobbled a scrappy effort beyond Iker Casillas.
Robino leveller
Having contributed to the opener, Fritz then staggered off with a suspected thigh complaint, to be replaced by Duško Tošić. Whether that blow encouraged the visitors or not, they were level in the 14th minute, after Marcelo wrestled back possession on the halfway line and served Robinho with an excellent ball down the left channel. The tricky Brazilian skipped inside and just as Per Mertsesacker readied to challenge, he curled a sumptuous shot into the far corner of Christian Vander's goal.
Sanogo strike
Chances dried up after that explosive start, but both sides kept attacking and Bremen centre-back Naldo nearly snuck an effort inside Casillas's near post. Robinho maintained the pressure at the other end, but it was the hosts who went in ahead at the break, and again they carved out their opening down the right. This time, Rosenberg surged past Fernando Gago, evaded Metzelder's rash tackle and set up Sanogo for an expertly-taken volley the Ivorian swept inside the far post.
Casillas save
Thomas Schaaf clearly did not instruct his charges to tighten up after the break and they nearly added a third when Sanogo's header from a Daniel Jensen cross was clawed thrillingly off the line by Casillas. Van Nistelrooy had gone close for the Spanish champions before that and he spurned a gilt-edged chance in the 56th minute, somehow placing Robinho's centre wide when unmarked.
Madrid reminder
That miss was made to look even worse less than 120 seconds later, as Jensen lofted a pass in behind Madrid's defence and Hunt – back after a long knee injury lay-off – steered the ball past the onrushing Casillas. Jensen's visionary pass suggested Schaaf had picked the right man to replace Diego – but if Bremen believed they could have everything their own way, they were given a timely jolt 19 minutes from time when Van Nistelrooy chipped the ball over Vander. Robinho attempted to add his own finishing touch but was too late, as were Madrid in their attempt to turn the match in their favour.
Lazio 1-2 Olympiacos
Olympiacos CFP moved a step closer to qualifying for the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League after coming from behind to defeat S.S. Lazio in Rome.
Resolute display
Goals by Luciano Galletti and Darko Kovačević either side of half-time cancelled out Goran Pandev's strike on the half-hour. The result capped a resolute display by the visiting side who fought back bravely and always looked in control once Galletti and half-time substitute Kovačević had turned the match around. A draw at home to Werder Bremen on Matchday 6 would seal their progress while Lazio must now win away to Real Madrid CF.
Fractious start
Both sides began knowing that if Madrid avoided defeat against Werder Bremen a win would be enough to secure a place in the Round of 16 but with a Matchday 6 trip to Madrid in prospect for Lazio the onus was very much on them to deliver in front of their home fans. Delio Rossi had called for "warm hearts and cool heads" but the reverse was true in the opening exchanges as both Pandev and Ieroklis Stoltidis were caught by late challenges.
Deadlock broken
Both sides began uncertainly, Olympiacos ceding possession in midfield while the hosts failed to take advantage on the break. Both Pandev and Stefano Mauri failed to produce the final pass with the visitors' defence on the back foot. A scrappy game came to life on the half-hour mark when Cristián Ledesma headed a long ball on to Tommaso Rocchi. The Lazio captain cut the ball back from the byline and Pandev slotted in from close range.
Galletti leveller
The setback stirred Panagiotis Lemonis’s side into action and within five minutes they were level. Stoltidis received a pass from the left and slid the ball to his right from where the on-rushing Galletti beat Marco Ballotta with a rasping 14-metre shot at his near post. At the other end, Antonios Nikopolidis was called into action to deny Pandev, and defying his 36 years, with an outstretched leg.
Kovačević strike
The veteran goalkeeper was also in the thick of it early in the second half, first diving bravely to paw a low centre away from the feet of Rocchi on 55 minutes and, moments later, saving with his feet from Pandev after the Macedonian forward had brilliantly controlled Massimo Mutarelli's searching ball. Against the run of play, though, Olympiakos took the lead. Stoltidis released Predrag Djordjević down the right and substitute Kovačević was first to the visiting captain's low cross.
Djordjević attempt
With Bremen winning against the Spanish champions Lazio came forward to gain a foothold in the match, but the Serie A side were largely reduced to set-pieces, Guglielmo Stendardo sending two free-kicks over the bar. Indeed, if anyone looked like scoring again it was Olympiacos, who having waited 31 matches for an away win in the competition have now won twice in three away games. One more point and they will reach the knockout stage for the first time since 1999/2000. Lazio finished limply and now face the ominous prospect of having to win in Madrid to continue their UEFA Champions League adventure.
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