Hajnal stuns Werder early
 
The game at the ‘Weser-Stadion’ in Bremen got off to a pacy start, with the hosts looking initially to have gotten out of the blocks better but in the 13th minute it was the visitors that went in front. Cristian Molinaro broke on the left, playing a one-two with Shinji Okazaki before swinging a cross into the Werder penalty area. Pavel Pogrebnyak headed goal-wards, an effort which Tim Wiese in the Werder goal could only parry and Tamas Hajnal pounced to drive the loose ball into the back of the net and give his side an early advantage. Bremen’s answer came through Marko Marin after 21 minutes. The German international hit a powerful drive which Sven Ulreich did excellently to turn over the crossbar. Bremen were beginning to take control by mid-way through the first period and in the 34th minute, the home side were back on level terms. A corner from the left fell for Torsten Frings, which the midfielder hammered towards goal from 18 meters out. The effort took a wicked deflection off Georg Niedermeier, leaving Ulreich no chance of rescuing the issue – 1-1. The hosts were well in charge now and forced VfB back into the defence. Shortly before the half time whistle, Serdar Tasci managed to clear a Denni Avdic effort of the goal-line and so, the teams went in at the break deadlocked at 1-1.

The second half began somewhat less attractively than the first had. Werder Bremen looked more determined and agile going forward than VfB but were all too often imprecise with their passing to create anything really threatening in front of goal. At the other end of the pitch, Zdravko Kuzmanovic tried his luck with a left footed drive in the 56th minute but put his effort wide of Tim Wiese’s goal. Shortly afterwards, Bremen defender Mikael Silvestre came close with a header. The next moment of excitement in an increasingly drab tie came in the 75th minute. For the second time in the game, Sandro Wagner launched himself at a ball in the VfB box, using his hand to control. On this occasion, the referee spotted the infringement and correctly showed the front man the yellow card.