3/25/2006
werder.de

A Nelson Valdez hat-trick, a stunning peformance from Tim Wiese and an enormous improvement in the second half helped Werder Bremen to an impressive 5:0 win over Hanover 96 on the 27th match day of the season. The game was to mark the end of a three match negative series and the return to third place with both Schalke and HSV slipping up at home.

Trainer Thomas Schaaf made three changes to the side which lost 3:1 in Nuremburg last weekend. The recovered Johan Micoud returned to the starting eleven in place of Jurica Vranjes while Nelson Valdez and Petri Pasanen replaced the lately off form Ivan Klasnic and Patrick Owomoyela respectively.

Once again this season the crowd at the Weser Stadium paid witness to another entertaining game of football with two very different half's. Werder attempted to make an early return to previous form and make up for recent poor showings but found it extremely difficult to break down a strong, determined and aggressive Hanover side. All this was made more trying by slack passing and a lack of idea's in their own game plan. Still, the Green-Whites made the first two real openings. In the fourth minute, Valdez played through to Klose but the German international was intercepted at the last minute by Zuraw. A minute later a Christian Schulz free-kick sailed past friend and foe, almost anding in the '96′ net.

Wiese under constant pressure

The first big opening fell to the visitors though. Fahrenhorst lost a challenge with Balitsch who set Dabrowski alone on his way goalwards with only the keeper to beat. The 24 year old keeper was down in an instant to deny the ex-Werder player from scoring what was a 100% chance. This effort proved to be the beginning of a Hanover assault which kept Wiese with plenty to do. The Werder keeper first touched a Dabrowski header over the crossbar (17′), then snatched a Brdaric shot out of the air (21′). Wiese then punched a Mertesacker header against the bar and punched a Tarnat effort away for a corner (27′) all in a testing ten minute period for the home team.

Memories of the last time the sides met flooded back as Werders back line then also found themselves drowning in a pool of Hanover pressure but somehow staying afloat. A plethera of mis-placed passes and insecurities in the midfield meant little chance of relief for the defence. To add to their problems, Werder lost Torsten Frings early on as in Nuremburg with his calf injury flaring up again. Jurica Vranjes replaced the deputy captain in the 33rd minute.

It took until ten minutes before the break for Werder to breach the tightly routined Hanover defence. Klose picked out Tim Borowski with a pass but the '96′ keeper Robert Enke was able to parry the effort, the rebound fell back to the feet of Borowski who sliced his shot outside the post.

The game was then turned on it's head two minutes before half-time when Werder surprisingly took the lead against the run of play. Micoud collected a pass from Schulz on the left and crossed into the box. Klose, Mertesacker and Zuraw all missed the ball which rolled to Nelson Valdez who could slide the ball into an empty goal. In added time, Johan Micoud added a second. The goal was born of some strange decisions by referee Kinhöfer: The ref allowed play to go on despite Kloses shot being deflected away from goal by Mertesackers arm. The ball then fell to Johan Micoud who struck from 18 meters, had his shot deflected off Mertesackes leg to decieve Enke and make the half time score 2:0.

Klose and Valdez seal the deal

The Green-Whites were spurned on by their flattering half time lead and suddenly their combination play returned with the effectiveness of old. The first chance of the second half fell to Daniel Jensen who couldn't convert (48′)but the next two Bremen efforts were to prove an early sealer of the three points. Micoud fed Klose who could have scored himself but selflessly laid off to Valdez who made it 3:0 (52′). Just two minutes later, Klose bagged his 19th of the season when he forced his way past international team-mate Mertesacker and clipped over Enke to make it 4:0.

Hanover were now down and out but still gave their all and could have scored with Mertesacker (61′), Tarnat (64′) and Stajner all having chances on goal. As luck would have it, the goal scoring appeared to be saved for the home side on the day. Nelson Valdez topped off his classy performance with his third goal of the day in the 82nd minute finishing off a quick counter attack and making the final score an impressive 5:0. This would never have seemed possible early in the first half but the win was deserved on the strength of a stunning second period. Werder Bremen are now very much back in the race for a Champions League spot.

Johnnie Muldoon

Werder Bremen – Hanover 96 5:0 (2:0)

Werder Bremen: Wiese – Pasanen, Fahrenhorst, Naldo, Schulz – Frings (33. Vranjes) – D. Jensen, Borowski – Micoud (70. Owomoyela) – Klose (79. Klasnic), Valdez; auf der Bank: Vander, Andreasen, Lagerblom, van Damme

Hannover 96: Enke РCherundolo (46. Schr̦ter), Mertesacker, Zuraw, Tarnat РLala (71. Sousa) РBalitsch, Dabrowski РStajner РHashemian, Brdaric

Goals: 1:0 Valdez (43.), 2:0 Micoud (45+2.), 3:0 Valdez (52.), 4:0 Klose (53.), 5:0 Valdez (81.)

Referee: Kinhöfer (Herne)

Attendance: Weser-Stadion: 41.646 Zuschauer

Yellow cards: Vranjes – Mertesacker, Tarnat, Brdaric, Balitsch

Shots on goal: 15 : 15

Corners: 2 : 13

Crosses: 8 : 12

Possession: 53% : 47%

Tackles won: 49% : 51%

Fouls: 20 : 17

Offsides: 6 : 5

Most shots on goal: Borowski (5) – Mertesacker, Dabrowski, Balitsch (3)

Most assists: Klose (5) – Tarnat (6)

Most individual possession: Schulz (83) – Stajner (84)

Strongest tackler: Frings (80%) – Schröter (80%)