The transfer of German U-21 international Marko Marin from Borussia Moenchengladbach to Werder Bremen has finally been completed.

The 20-year-old midfielder has signed a four-year contract at the Weser Stadion with Gladbach receiving a reported €8.4 million.

Die Welt have reported that Werder will make the official announcement this afternoon. The club and the player have been in agreement for a number of weeks now, but the stumbling block was the transfer fee being demanded by Moenchengladbach.

The Fohlen were at first asking for €12 million, but with the fear that Marin could move for nothing at the end of next season Gladbach’s sporting director Max Eberl has settled for €8.4 million.

Marin has now becomes Werder’s second most expensive signing in their history and along with Mesut Oezil, he will be seen as the replacement for the departed Diego.

This signing once again proves how highly rated the young German is. We previously featured Marko Marin as a Player of the Day last year before Euro 2008.


[Source: Goal.com]

Werder Bremen lifted the DFB-Pokal and booked their place in the Europa League next season thanks to a narrow win over Bayer Leverkusen.

Mesut Ozil's deflected strike in the 58th minute was enough to win the game for a dominant Bremen side at Berlin's Olympiastadion.

Bremen had enough chances to win the game several times over against a lifeless Leverkusen, whose coach Bruno Labbadia goes into showdown talks with his club's board next week having failed to deliver the expected success this season.

Diego, playing his last game for Bremen before moving to Juventus next season, was given a very warm reception from the fans from northern Germany, who made up the majority inside the sold-out Olympiastadion.

He bowed to them having vowed to leave on a high note by winning the DFB-Pokal.

The early indications were promising for Bremen as Sebastian Prodl brought a decent save out of Rene Adler.

Torsten Frings' shot was then blocked by Manuel Friedrich when Claudio Pizarro unselfishly played the ball back to the Germany midfielder when perhaps he could have shot himself from inside the area.

Patrick Helmes had Leverkusen's best chance of the whole game in the 22nd minute when the ball fell at his feet just eight yards out from goal, but he completely mis-kicked with just Tim Wiese to beat.

All of the action was concentrated in front of Adler's goal and he was clearly feeling the pressure as he fumbled Naldo's 30-yard free-kick into the path of Frings, but Diego stole in from the side to take the shooting opportunity away from his team-mate.

Bremen may have wondered how they went into the break without scoring as Naldo's header was tipped over the bar by Adler on the stroke of half-time.

But Thomas Schaaf's men got the goal they were looking for, and thoroughly deserved, when Ozil's angled shot took a slight deflection off Friedrich to beat Adler at his near post in the 58th minute.

That goal proved to be enough to win the cup for Bremen.

Stefan Kiessling had the one and only chance to take the game to extra-time when he beat the offside trap in the 79th minute, but Prodl recovered to clear.


[Soccernet]

Werder Bremen were able to confirm Marcelo Moreno Martins as their first new signing for next season after the Bolivian forward passed a medical in the northern Germany city.

The 21-year-old joins on a one-year loan deal from Shakhtar Donetsk, the side who defeated Bremen in the final of the UEFA Cup only last week.

However, it was not there that Bremen noticed his talents since he was an unused substitute for the Ukrainians. According to Bremen's director of sport Klaus Allofs, the Bolivia international has long since been a target.

"We have been watching him for several years now and wanted to sign him last year, which is why we are delighted that it has worked out now, albeit with a bit of a delay," he said.

Should Martins impress while on loan in the Bundesliga, Bremen have secured an option to make the move a permanent one on a four-year contract.

After passing the medical tonight, Martins left a quick comment before flying out to link up with his national team for their games against Venezuela and Chile over the next fortnight.

"We were very close (to an agreement) last year, but then I chose Donetsk," he said in a press release. "I am really pleased that Werder have given me a second chance. I would like to show my ability at Bremen and help both myself and the team develop."


[Soccernet]

Bayer Leverkusen and Werder Bremen head into the DFB-Pokal final today looking to salvage some pride from their otherwise disappointing seasons.

Both have failed to live up to their own expectations in the Bundesliga this season, finishing ninth and 10th respectively, and this has increased the pressure on their coaches.

Indeed, leading Leverkusen to DFB-Pokal glory may be the only thing which can keep Bruno Labbadia in his job.

After missing out on a place in Europe following a disappointing league campaign, Labbadia's future appears now to be hinging on whether or not his side can get the better of Bremen in Berlin.

But reading between the lines of Leverkusen's director of sport Rudi Voller's pre-match comments, defeat would not be so dramatic after he gave Labbadia his indirect backing by praising opponents Bremen for the patience they have shown with their coach Thomas Schaaf.

"Werder have been showing in an exemplary fashion for years how you deal with such crises," Voller said.

"Whenever there has been public criticism of Thomas Schaaf, then there has been 100% backing for the coach from the board.

"We are still convinced of Bruno's potential and we value the way in which Labbadia lets football be played."

Yet Leverkusen have veered from the sublime to the ridiculous this season, culminating in a 3-0 defeat on the final day of the season to struggling Energie Cottbus which has made the cup final even more important

Saturday's game may be the explanation for that slip-up last weekend since Labbadia says his players have been focused on this clash for months.

"The team is very excited," he said. "Everybody is looking forward to it.

"We have been working towards getting to Berlin from day one and spoke about how great an experience it would be even in (the first round at) Oberhausen.

"We are now here in Berlin and are incredibly excited."

Leverkusen got the better of Bremen in the Bundesliga with a win and a draw in their two meetings, but Schaaf hopes it will be a case of third time lucky for his side.

"It is going to be a tough task and I hope that we can do better this time than we did in the league," he said.

Brazilian playmaker Diego will be playing his final game for the club before moving to Juventus in the summer and he has promised to do all he can to leave with a piece of silverware.

"This is going to be the biggest game in my life so far," he said. "Winning the DFB-Pokal is my biggest dream."

Torsten Frings took a knock to his thigh in Thursday's training session, but he should be fit to play, leaving Schaaf without only his two long-term injury absentees, Per Mertesacker and Daniel Jensen.

Labbadia has a fully-fit squad to choose from.

When Werder Bremen take on Bayer Leverkusen in the German Cup final on Saturday (1800 GMT), it will be their last chance to salvage a European spot from an otherwise hapless season.

The pre-season Bundesliga favourites, who ended up in 10th place after showing only occasional sparks of their brilliance, also missed out on European glory, losing in the UEFA Cup final to Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk last week.

With playmaker Diego joining Juventus at the end of the season, Werder are asking the Brazilian to put in one final breath-taking performance to win the cup.

Mercurial Diego has been sparkling when it really mattered, at time almost single-handedly guiding them further in their competitions.

His suspension from the UEFA Cup final was crucial, leaving Werder with no creative play in midfield and no trophy.

"This (German Cup) match is the most important one, not only during my time at Werder but the most important one of my life," Diego said.

"I am happy to be able to give something back to Werder for all their devotion. I am fully motivated for this."

Coach Thomas Schaaf, rumoured to be on his way out at the end of the season after 10 years, will have captain Frank Baumann and Sebastian Boenisch back in the squad as he bids to bring back the cup after Werder's last triumph in 2004.

BAYER COLLAPSE

Leverkusen coach Bruno Labbadia had also imagined his season differently after sitting in fifth place halfway through. But his young team's second round collapse, including eight defeats, saw them crash out of the European spots, finishing a disappointing ninth.

His job is now on the line, with defeat in the final seemingly sealing his fate after club officials called the season so far "unsatisfactory."

Leverkusen can play stunning, fast-paced football when two of the league's most dangerous strikers, Stefan Kiessling and Patrick Helmes, are in top form and Brazilian midfielder Renato Augusto orchestrates the attacks.

However, since their sensational 4-2 German Cup quarter-final win over Bayern Munich, Leverkusen have failed to replicate their good form, needing extra time to oust Mainz 05 4-1 in the last four.

Captain Simon Rolfes is fully fit to play in their third final appearance and Labbadia can only hope his strikers will be in the mood for goals to win their first German Cup since 1993.


[Reuters via Guardian]

Brazilian playmaker Diego has completed his "dream" move to Juventus from Werder Bremen, for a fee of €24.5m.

The 24-year-old, who helped steer Werder to the UEFA Cup and German Cup finals this season, had two years left on his contract with the Bundesliga side but had made it clear that he wanted a new challenge.

Diego's performances also attracted the interest of German giants Bayern Munich but after signing a five-year contract with the Bianconeri he said: "I'm enthusiastic about Juventus and proud to become part of such a prestigious club, which I have dreamed about since I was a child."

The Brazil international, who joined Werder from Porto in 2006, added: "After the experiences in Portugal and in the Bundesliga I will be able to measure up to football of a very high level in a difficult and very competitive championship.

"It's the right time in my career to make such an important step and I'm convinced that with Juventus I'll achieve great results."

Diego's arrival is aimed at filling the gap created by Pavel Nedved's expected retirement. Juve also hope Diego can spur them to success in the Champions League and on the home front next season. Claudio Ranieri's failure to do so cost the coach his job last week.

Juventus, who are currently in the hands of caretaker boss Ciro Ferrara, also have a deal to bring Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro back from Real Madrid despite widespread supporter opposition.

The 35-year-old centre back, soon out of contract at Real, left for Spain in 2006 when Juve were demoted for match-fixing, while other top players such as Alessandro Del Piero and Gianluigi Buffon stuck with the club for their season in the second tier.


[Soccernet]

Shakhtar Donetsk became the last winners of the UEFA Cup by defeating Werder Bremen 2-1 in the final in Istanbul tonight.
Mircea Lucescu's team also became the first Ukrainian side to win a European trophy thanks to Jadson's winner in extra-time.

The final - the last to be played before the competition is rebranded as the Europa League next season - finished all square on 90 minutes after Naldo had equalised Luiz Adriano's opener.

Jadson made it a trio of Brazilian scorers when his weak effort trickled past Werder goalkeeper Tim Wiese in the 97th minute to give Shakhtar the trophy.

The Ukrainians should have gone ahead in the fifth minute when Luiz Adriano was allowed the time and space to turn on the edge of the box, but he fired just wide with the goal gaping.

He was almost made to pay for his profligacy a minute later as Shakhtar failed to clear Sebastian Boenisch's long throw but Frank Baumann miscued his effort and on 24 minutes the Brazilian striker made amends, seizing on a through-ball that had wrong-footed the Bremen defence and lifting a sumptuous chip over the onrushing Wiese.

Moments after his goal Luiz Adriano found himself on the corner of the box again but lashed the ball over the bar, and his compatriot Willian then broke purposefully into the box, only to produce a tame finish straight at Wiese.

But just as Shakhtar were threatening to extend their advantage, Bremen hit back in thunderous fashion through their own Brazilian, Naldo stepping up in the 34th minute to hammer a free-kick at Andrei Pyatov with such ferocity that the goalkeeper could only help it on its way into the net.

At the other end Wiese looked far more assured in denying Mariusz Lewandowski's powerful strike and the teams went in level at the end of an absorbing first half.

Wiese was back in action soon after the restart, doing well to punch away Darijo Srna's free-kick from the right and Jadson's strike from the left.

The lively Luiz Adriano turned in the box again on 65 minutes but his shot was blocked by Naldo and then Claudio Pizarro almost nicked it 13 minutes from time with a glancing header that Pyatov clawed away down to his left.

With the game petering out extra-time looked increasingly likely and once it got under way, it was almost inevitable that it would be an error that would finally settle the issue.

Less predictable was that Wiese would be the culprit, horribly misjudging Jadson's soft shot from 12 yards and undoing all his good work through the night by letting it bobble past him into the net.

Willian had a chance to seal victory seconds before the extra-time interval only to blaze his effort over the crossbar and Pizarro had a late strike ruled out for offside, but Shakhtar held on for the victory and the final UEFA Cup title.

Werder Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf is assessing the walking wounded in his injury-hit squad ahead of Wednesday's UEFA Cup final against Shakhtar Donetsk.

"I do not know who is fit and who can play," Schaaf told a news conference on Tuesday an hour before his side were due to train at the Sukru Saracoglu stadium.

"I am not even thinking about a (team) formation yet."

Schaaf will definitely be without influential playmaker Diego and striker Hugo Almeida, who are suspended, while defender Per Mertesacker is injured and will not play.

Captain Frank Baumann is battling to shake off a muscle strain, as is Brazilian defender Naldo. Strikers Claudio Pizarro and Markus Rosenberg missed the home defeat by Karlsruhe on Saturday after picking up injuries.

Schaaf said Diego, Almeida and Mertesacker "cannot be replaced on a one-to-one basis" but he would still be able to field a strong team.

Brazilian Diego, who has scored six UEFA Cup goals in Werder's run to the final, has been heavily linked with a move to Juventus with German media reporting on Wednesday the deal was worth about 29 million euros ($39.5 million).

Werder general manager Klaus Allofs said a transfer was "still up in the air despite weeks of talks" while Schaaf told reporters Diego had not yet played his last game for the club.

"We still have an important league match against (Bundesliga leaders) Wolfsburg and then the German Cup final (against Bayer Leverkusen)," he said. "Diego will play a part in these games".

Werder have endured a disappointing league campaign and are in 10th place going into their final game but midfielder Torsten Frings said two Cup final appearances went some way to making up for their inconsistent season.

"If we win a trophy then the season will have been a success," he said. "We are not happy with our Bundesliga form but we have the chance to make up for that."


[Soccernet]

Werder Bremen midfielder Diego has left no doubt that he will be leaving the German Bundesliga in favour of a move to Italy's Serie A by revealing: "I want to play at Juventus."

Diego has left all sorts of bodies in his wake during his time at Werder Bremen.
The Brazilian playmaker, who is under contract with the German outfit until June 2011, is being tipped as Pavel Nedved's replacement at the Turin giants.

A fee has already been agreed between the two clubs and Diego is optimistic the transfer is on the verge of being finalised.

''We are very close but there is one minor step that has yet to be taken,'' said Diego in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.

''I have already told (Juve sporting director Alessio) Secco that I want to play at Juventus. I believe Serie A is the most beautiful and most difficult league.

''Juventus have made a point to express how much they want me and in Italy there are great players.''

Diego helped Werder reach the UEFA Cup final against Shakhtar Donetsk but will miss the May 20 game in Istanbul through suspension.

He joined Werder in 2006 from FC Porto, after beginning his career with Robinho at Santos, and quickly became one of the Bundesliga's top players - counting Bayern Munich and Real Madrid amongst his admirers.


[Soccernet]

Werder Bremen's Diego has signed for Juventus in a €25m deal, according to the midfielder's agent.

Giacomo Petralito claims the 24-year-old Brazil international has agreed a five-year contract with the Italian giants and will complete the transfer at the end of the season.

Diego has been an integral part of Uefa Cup finalists Werder's side since arriving from Porto in 2006 and he has been linked with Bayern Munich in the past.

But the player's representative, Petralito, claims his client has opted to leave Germany in order to make a big-money move to Serie A.

Petralito told Kicker: "Diego has signed for Juventus. Everything happened last Wednesday."

Diego, who is suspended for the Uefa Cup final against Shakhtar Donetsk, has scored 33 goals in 87 matches. He has also won 38 caps for Brazil and scored seven times.


[Soccernet]

Werder Bremen confirmed talks with Juventus over the possible sale of Brazilian midfielder Diego on Friday but said no deal was yet in place.

Diego, 24, steered Werder to their first UEFA Cup final on Thursday, scoring once in their 3-2 win over Hamburg SV.

"There has been a meeting between Juventus and Werder. But we cannot confirm that an agreement was reached," Werder managing director Klaus Allofs said on the team's website.

The Brazilian will, however, miss the UEFA Cup final against Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk in Istanbul on May 20 after being booked for an altercation with Hamburg's Alex Silva.

"We will badly miss Diego in Istanbul," Werder coach Thomas Schaaf told reporters, adding that he was "furious" at referee Frank De Bleeckere for booking the Brazilian.

"He is an exceptional player. He helped us to get to the final and I hope the team can bring something back for him."

The gifted playmaker has been the driving force in Werder's run to the final, finding the net four times in two legs to oust Italian side Udinese in the quarter-finals.

Diego blamed compatriot Silva for the booking, which will see him miss Bremen's biggest match of the season.

"Unfortunately I cannot change things," Diego said. "(Silva) swore at me. I did not respond, I was pushed and then got booked."

"But we did a great job and we have a big enough team to win the cup in Istanbul," the 24-year-old said.


[Reuters via Soccernet]

Werder Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf has hit back at critics who have accused him of distorting the Bundesliga by fielding a weakened side.

Schaaf left Diego and Mesut Ozil out of the team which was beaten 1-0 by Cologne last Sunday as he turned his attention to Thursday night's crucial UEFA Cup semi-final against Hamburg.

With nothing left to play for in the Bundesliga, where Bremen are languishing in mid-table, the northern Germany side are instead concentrating on the UEFA Cup and DFB-Pokal, which are their only remaining hopes of silverware.

However, some of Cologne's fellow Bundesliga strugglers, who are scrapping to avoid relegation, have accused Schaaf of putting them at an unfair disadvantage by fielding a weakened side and, thus, making life easier for Cologne.

Schaaf is furious at the suggestions, saying they are nonsense.

''I cannot listen to this any longer,'' he said. ''We are always being accused of something which is simply not true.

''I don't agree with this current criticism. Anybody who accuses us of anything in this respect should look at our games against Leverkusen and Bochum, for example.

''That should make it clear to them how easily we gift points and don't care about the Bundesliga anymore.

''Everybody should take a look at themselves and make sure they do their own things right and let us work in peace and quiet here.''

Schaaf insists Diego and Ozil were both injured at the weekend while neither are certain to return on Thursday night.

Bremen trail 1-0 from the first leg and travel to their local rivals knowing they need to score to stand any chance of reaching the final in Istanbul, which is why having Diego and Ozil in top condition would enhance their chances of success.

''I am fighting to have the chance to still play against HSV on Thursday, but I cannot give the green light yet,'' said Ozil.

''I still have pain in both knees, but things are getting better. I really want to play on Thursday and reach the final in Istanbul.''

Diego added he ''really could not have played in Cologne'', but he too is confident of recovering for Thursday`s game.

''This is a very important game for the club and I would never do anything to jeopardise my involvement against Hamburg.''

Hamburg have the upper hand in three previous meetings with Bremen this season, beating them in the Bundesliga and in the first leg of this semi-final tie, although they lost out in the semi-final of the DFB-Pokal after a 1-1 draw.

Unlike Bremen, they also have ambitions in the Bundesliga, where they trail league leaders Wolfsburg by five points with four games of the season remaining, but this competition still ranks high on their list of priorities.

''The city of Hamburg needs a title,'' said defender Guy Demel in the Hamburger Morgenpost newspaper.

''After missing out on a place in the DFB-Pokal final, I was sad and couldn't sleep very well.

''We want to take our next chance.''

Hamburg are without the suspended Jose Paolo Guerrero, but Mladen Petric is set to return after recovering from the deep wound he suffered against Bremen in their DFB-Pokal tie a fortnight ago.

''It is high time that he plays again,'' said Jol, who could do with his top scorer, particularly on a night when a penalty shoot-out is a possibility.

Hamburg lost out to Bremen on penalties in the DFB-Pokal semi-final, but are set to practice them in training.


[Soccernet]

Werder Bremen have denied reports they have agreed a deal with Juventus which would see Brazil playmaker Diego join the Turin club at the end of the season.

Juventus have confirmed their interest in the 24-year-old but the Bundesliga side are adamant there is still some way to go before Diego can call himself a Bianconeri player.

"There has been a meeting between Juventus and Werder, but we can confirm that no agreement was reached," stated Bremen's director of sport Klaus Allofs.

Juve are reported to have already agreed terms with the player's agent, but have fallen short of Bremen's asking price.

But with Bayern Munich recently confirming their interest in the South American, Juve now appear to be pushing for the move to go through as soon as possible.

News of Juve's progress could spur Bayern into action; the Bavarian giants are particularly interested in Diego who they regard as an ideal replacement for Franck Ribery who has been linked with a summer move away from Germany.

Bremen are hoping to earn up to 30 million euros from the sale of Diego, but Juve seem reluctant to rise above 20m.

The Turin club have dropped out of the title race having not won in five Serie A games but coach Claudio Ranieri has been told his job is safe until the end of the season.

Other signings are expected to boost their prospects next term. Winger Pavel Nedved is due to retire at the end of this season.


[Soccernet]

Werder Bremen 0 - 1 Hamburg SV

Piotr Trochowski scored a priceless away goal as Hamburg edged a compelling UEFA Cup semi-final first-leg clash with Werder Bremen 1-0.

A hugely entertaining all-German encounter could have had more than the one goal it provided, and it was perhaps the most unlikely source of all that settled it with the 5ft 7in Trochowski forcing in a powerful header after 28 minutes.

With Bremen midfielder Diego pulling the strings in midfield the home side always threatened an equaliser but it never came to put Hamburg in the box seats ahead of next week's second leg on their home turf.

Hamburg set about attacking their Bundesliga rivals from the start and Bremen goalkeeper Tim Wiese came to his side's rescue in the opening minute when he was quickly off his line to deny Ivica Olic's close-range strike with his feet.

A minute later Diego was forcing Wiese's opposite number, Frank Rost, into action with a low strike from outside the area that Hamburg stopper grasped low to his right.

Diego took little time to mark himself as the Bremen's dangerman, littering his first-half display with the types of mazy runs and clever passing that have led Juventus to open talks to buy him in the summer.

The Brazilian midfielder's chipped pass after 10 minutes was too strong to pick out Hugo Almeida's forward run before he was crowded out by the visiting defence.

But for all of Diego's threat Hamburg were producing the better chances and Wiese again had to be at his best to deny Paolo Guerrero's long-range shot.

Hamburg went ahead with 28 minutes on the clock when Trochowski belied his diminutive stature to force in a towering header at the back post.

Guy Demel was the architect as he whipped in a cross that caught Clemens Fritz out of position and left Trochowski unmarked to plant his header back across Wiese and into the net.

Bremen attempted to respond, again with Diego at the heart of their forward thrusts, but he was having one of those nearly nights when his passes were just missing their mark.

Under pressure he manufactured a pass across goal that eluded Claudio Pizarro and when he did find the on-loan Chelsea striker he could only head wide.

It meant Hamburg took their one-goal advantage into the break and when play resumed the match lost none of its momentum as both sides continued to attack.

Wiese was almost caught napping at his near post by a snap shot from Guerrero that flew into the side-netting while at the other end Rost atoned for his weak clearance by holding onto Almeida's follow-up header from six yards.

Guerrero then needlessly felled Fritz to earn a booking that will rule him out of the second leg and leave coach Martin Jol with a selection dilemma with Mladen Petric still likely to be out injured for that game.

After 65 minutes Olic could have got a second away goal when he broke clear of the defence only to shoot weakly into an advancing Wiese.

The tireless Olic then forged an opening for Jonathan Pitroipa, sliding a pass along the six-yard box, but the Burkino Faso international could only get a slight touch on the ball as it ballooned wide across the face of goal.

Mesut Ozil was now supporting Diego as a twin threat for Bremen and the former set up the Brazilian whose shot from the edge of the area drifted wide.

Substitute Markus Rosenberg then shot over from inside the area when he should have hit the target and Pizarro saw another effort blocked as Bremen stepped up the pressure.

Bremen had a claim for a late penalty when Pizarro headed into Demel's outstretched arm from close range but it would have been tough on the home side who held on to ensure they will be favourites to progress to next month's final in Istanbul.


[Soccernet]

Werder Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf admits his side's hopes of Champions League qualification are over after they lost 1-0 to Schalke on Saturday.

That loss followed an embarrassing 2-1 home upset to Arminia Bielefeld in their first game back after the winter break and has led to calls for Schaaf's 10-year reign as Bremen coach to come to an end.

They lie 10th in the Bundesliga table, 10 points adrift of third-placed Hamburg.

"It is obvious and I don't have to be a genius to realise we have said goodbye to the top positions," he said.

"Now we have to try to see that we turn the corner and that we get more out of games like this.

"You have got to say that there was more in today's game for us."

Indeed, the performance could be what saves Schaaf's job - for the time being at least - as his side were unfortunate to come away from the Arena AufSchalke without at least a point.

Bremen were largely the better side but luck was again not on their side, according to general manager Klaus Allofs - the man to decide Schaaf's future.

He said: "We were at least as good as them, but small things bring all of our work into danger."

Schalke coach Fred Rutten had also been under pressure before the game, with his side just one place above Bremen, and he was relieved to have won thanks to Benedikt Howedes' second-half goal.

"I really don't care if it was a terrible game, the win was immensely important," he said.

Schalke defender Marcelo Bordon broke his hand in the match and is likely to be out for up to two weeks.

via Soccernet

Werder Bremen came from two goals down to snatch a 2-2 draw with Cypriot newcomers Anorthosis Famagusta in Champions League Group B on Wednesday but it was not enough to prevent the Germans slipping out.

Werder's comeback at the end of a frantic second half only succeeded in denting the home side's hopes of clinching qualification for the last 16 at the first attempt, although they do still have a chance.

As it is, Inter Milan qualified with a game to spare despite losing 1-0 at home to Panathinaikos.

The second berth will be decided when Anorthosis travel to face Panathinaikos on the final evening of matches next month.

For the moment, Panathinaikos are second with seven points, while Anorthosis are third on six and Werder are bottom with four.

It was a cruel finish for Anorthosis, after they had taken control with the first moment of quality in a poor match.

It came in the 62nd minute when Nikos Nikolaou struck first time on the half-volley, low past Werder's stand-in keeper Christian Vander, as the ball drifted over from a corner.

Brazilian forward Savio added a second in the 68th minute, turning in from close range after a crossfield ball from the right.

Werder rarely threatened but they were given a lifeline when Diego lashed in from a penalty in the 72nd minute.

The Germans came pouring forward and got an equaliser they perhaps deserved when Hugo Almeida struck with a low volley.

Almeida was then handed a chance to revive Werder's season when he was put through on goal but the Portuguese shot straight at the keeper.

Werder Bremen rediscovered their scoring touch on Sunday to beat Cologne 3-1 and get back into the race for European places.

Werder, surprisingly held to a goalless draw with Bochum last weekend, had no such problems in attack once Diego had put them ahead with a penalty in the 15th minute.

It was only Werder's fifth league win but it was enough to take them up to seventh place with 20 points from 13 games.

"It wasn't our best performance but it will give us a boost in confidence," goalkeeper Tim Wiese told Premiere TV.

Bayer Leverkusen lead the standings with 28 points after a 2-1 win over Schalke 04 on Saturday.

Hoffenheim trail them on goal difference following their 3-2 victory over VfL Wolfsburg, with Bayern Munich three points behind them in third after they were held 2-2 at Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Werder were runners-up to Bayern last season but this term they have been too inconsistent to get near the leading three.

They played brilliantly in a 5-2 win away to Bayern back in September and followed it up with a 5-4 victory over Hoffenheim but then managed just two points from their next four matches.

Last weekend's failure against relegation candidates Bochum let them in the bottom half of the table but they played far more like title challengers on Sunday.

Frank Baumann's run into the box prompted a clumsy challenge from Pierre Wome and gave Diego the chance to put them ahead from the spot.

They were on top from then on and doubled the lead with a terrific barging header from Naldo from a corner just before the break.

Milivoje Novakovic pulled one back early in the second half with a nice run and shot but Hugo Almeida restored the two-goal cushion with a perfectly struck half-volley a few minutes later.

Werder Bremen fans have been praised for the way they turned in a group of neo-Nazis after their 0-0 draw at Bochum on Saturday.

A handful of extreme right-wing activists unfurled a national socialist banner at the end of the Bundesliga draw, but they were promptly identified and turned over to the police by Bremen fans surrounding them.

President of the German Football Association (DFB) Dr Theo Zwanziger commended the ''civil courage'' of the Bremen fans.

''The Bundesliga writes many an extraordinary story and an excellent one is certainly what we experienced in Bochum on Saturday,'' he told the Hamburger Abendblatt newspaper.

''That the police were able to arrest neo-Nazis after they were identified by Bremen fans when they unfurled a banner with extreme right-wing remarks is a perfect example of civil courage in the stadium.

''It encompasses the values of the DFB and the DFL (German Football League) that fans do not look away when idiots and outcasts want to abuse the football scene, but rather show solidarity to act quickly and decisively.''

Zwanziger continued to praise their actions, which can be used as an example to combat hooliganism and violence in and around stadia.

He said: ''This can be the basis for giving violence, xenophobia and discrimination no chance in football.''

Zwanziger now plans to meet with the Bremen fans along with his DFL counterpart Dr Reinhard Rauball to thank them in person.

Panathinaikos produced an away display to remember as they struck three times after half-time to clinch a Champions League Group B victory against Werder Bremen.

Henk ten Cate's side were irresistible after the break to breathe new life into their own campaign after they had managed just a single point before Tuesday night's match.
Vangelis Mantzios, who scored twice when the two teams drew 2-2 a fortnight ago, got the ball rolling with a goal after 58 minutes.

Pana captain Giorgos Karagounis then put the visitors two goals ahead after 70 minutes with a thunderous first-time strike from the edge of the area and Bremen's humiliation was complete seven minutes from time when Alexis Tziolis netted.

Pana now find themselves just a point behind second-place Anorthosis Famagusta, while Bremen, who are without a win in four games, are languishing at the foot of the table with three points.

The away side started the better with Karagounis at the heart of their best forward moves.

The free-kick expert quickly found his range from a dead-ball situation, forcing Tim Wiese into action with a save after three minutes.

At the other end Diego also gave warning of his threat with a quick turn a shot from the edge of the area that slid past the right-hand post.

From there the visitors settled the better with Karagounis pulling the strings from midfield.

The Greece midfielder almost gave his side the lead with an audacious 35-yard free-kick that hit the underside of the crossbar after catching Wiese too far off his line.

The Bremen goalkeeper was forced into a hasty retreat to try and get a hand to the lofted shot, but unable to do so he was relieved when the ball bounced down of the crossbar. The danger was not, however, completely over as the rebound fell to Mantzios, but his weak header allowed Wiese time to get to his feet and collect.

Bremen's best chance of the opening period also came from a free-kick when Claudio Pizarro's deflected header, from Diego's arrowed shot, produced a fine diving save from Mario Galinovic.

Pana had deserved to go into half-time on level terms and they upped their game further after the break with Karagounis shooting narrowly wide.

The away side got the goal they deserved after 58 minutes following a neat piece of skill from Mantzios.

The 25-year-old striker received a pass from Tziolis at the top of the area before some deft footwork enabled him to completely lose his marker and slide the ball in at the right-hand post.

Bremen showed little sign after going behind that they could find an equaliser and their hopes completely evaporated when Karagounis smashed in a stunning first-time shot from the edge of the area.

The veteran midfielder made space for himself from a throw before unleashing an unstoppable strike that flew across Wiese and into the far post.

Bremen now looked a deflated outfit and they suffered further misery with seven minutes remaining when Tziolis's shot from just inside the area was helped in with the aid of a defender.

Pana could have even had a fourth when Gilberto Silva rounded Wiese, but he took too long to shoot allowing Per Mertesacker time to clear.