BERLIN, May 7 -- German football powerhouse Werder Bremen staged an incredible comeback victory in Hamburg as they edged local rivals Hamburg 3-3 on aggregate to brave into the UEFA Cup final on away goals.
Playmaker Diego, Claudio Pizarro and Frank Baumann hit the net for Werder, with Hamburg's Ivica Olic scoring the first and last of the game.
Werder Bremen's Mesut Oezil (L), Claudio Pizarro (C) and Hugo Almeida celebrate a goal against Hamburg SV during their UEFA Cup semi-final return soccer match in Hamburg May 7, 2009.
Werder Bremen thus overturned a 1-0 home deficit from the first leg to beat Hamburg 3-2 and qualify for the final of the UEFA Cup on the away goals rule.
Bremen will now meet Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk in the final in Istanbul on May 20th - unfortunately without Diego, who is suspended after picking up a booking.
Werder Bremen's coach Thomas Schaaf celebrates victory against Hamburg SV during their UEFA Cup semi-final soccer match in Hamburg May 7, 2009.
Thomas Schaaf's men are rapidly becoming something of a bogey team for their northern German rivals, having beaten them on penalties, also in Hamburg's back yard, in the DFB Cup semi-final just over two weeks ago.
The match was a pulsating encounter from the off and the first clear chance fell to Bremen, Claudio Pizarro heading a cross from Sebastian Boenisch over the bar in the 12th minute. Less than a minute later, Hamburg's Joris Mathijsen stormed half the length of the pitch before releasing a perfect angled ball into the path of Olic, who coolly lobbed on rushing Bremen keeper Tim Wiese to put the hosts 1-0 up on the night, 2-0 on aggregate.
Hamburg SV's Ivica Olic and Piotr Trochowski (L) celebrate Olic's goal against Werder Bremen during their UEFA Cup semi-final second leg soccer match in Hamburg May 7, 2009.
In the 27th minute Olic went close to netting again, picking up a pass from Guy Demel only to see his effort brilliantly saved by Wiese.
Two minutes after that, Bremen leveled the score with Diego finishing off a one-two with Pizarro with a shot past Hamburg keeper Frank Rost.
On the hour mark Jonathan Pitroipa was inches away from connecting with a Marcell Jansen cross at the other end. Piotr Trochowski did connect with it, but Wiese again saved well.
Six minutes later Bremen made the breakthrough. Pizarro tried his luck from the right outside the area and the ball slipped under Frank Rost's hands and into the net.
Bremen's Claudio Pizarro (L) and Markus Rosenberg react following a disallowed goal against HSV Hamburg during their UEFA Cup soccer semi-final second leg match in Hamburg May 7, 2009.
That was the cue for the home side to start pushing forward but Werder seemed to have sealed the result with seven minutes remaining, Baumann capitalizing on a corner that flew past Rost to head home at the far post.
There was a heavy dose of controversy about the result within the German press as Baumann's strike - which proved to be the winning goal - was scored from a corner that came after Hamburg's Danish defender Michael Gravagaard mis-kicked the ball thanks to a heavy deflection off what appeared to be a lump of rolled-up toilet paper that a fan threw on to the pitch.
It was not over though as, with three minutes remaining, Olic dived to head the ball into the ground and top-right corner after Clemens Fritz hesitated.
The goal set up a grandstand finish during which the home side threw everything forward - including keeper Rost - but Bremen held on for a famous win.
(Xinhua)
