Too little, too late – Werder crash in Mönchengladbach
Posted by werdernews on August 30, 2008
On the third match day of the Bundesliga season, Werder Bremen went down 2-3 (0-2) to VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach. 54,067 spectators at Borussia-Park saw Karim Matmour (12’), Rob Friend (30’) and Alexander Baumjohann (71’) put the home side three goals up before Claudio Pizarro (79’) and Diego (89’) snatched what were to be little more than consolation goals for the Green-Whites.
Compared to the starting eleven which drew 1-1 with FC Schalke 04 last weekend, Werder coach Thomas Schaaf made two changes to his side. German international Clemens Fritz got the nod ahead of Petri Pasanen and Olympic Games participant Diego returned to replace Mesut Özil from the outset.
After a cautious begin from both sides, the home team made their breakthrough in the 12th minute. German international Marko Marin lobbed a ball over the heads of the Werder defence and found Matmour who had time to allow the ball to drop perfectly and hammer past Tim Wiese to give his side the lead.
Having gone in front, the hosts grew visibly in confidence but the better chances to score fell to the Green-Whites. Firstly Claudio Pizarro missed out with a shot after a Naldo free kick (24’) and just minutes later the Peruvian striker was denied by VfL keeper Christofer Heimeroth (27’). Right on the half-hour mark Borussia then doubled their lead as Rob Friend stole in to head home a wonderful delivery from Marcel Ndjeng.
After the break, Werder threw everything into attack in their search for a way back into the game but it was again the home side that did the scoring. Gladbach’s young star Baumjohann took on the ball in his own half of the pitch and drove forward powerfully before shooting into the far left corner past Tim Wiese to make it 0-3 from Werder’s view point.
Despite the three goal deficit, Thomas Schaaf’s men refused to throw in the towel and reduced the deficit in the 79th minute when Claudio Pizarro pounced on a loose ball to offer Werder a lifeline. Then in the 89th minute, Diego expertly curled a free-kick into the top corner of the net to make it 2-3 and create a tense finish. In the end, Gladbach held on to their lead to inflict Werder with their first defeat of the season.
The game at a glance:
Borussia Mönchengladbach: Heimeroth – Daems, Brouwers, Callsen-Bracker – Albermann (75′ Levels), Ndjeng (86′ Kleine), Paauwe, Baumjohann – Marin (77′ Coulibaly), Matmour – Friend.
Werder Bremen: Wiese – Fritz, Prödl (70′ Harnik), Naldo, Boenisch – Baumann (46′ Özil), Frings, Jensen, Diego – Pizarro, Rosenberg (46′ Almeida).
Goals: 1-0 Matmour (12′), 2-0 Friend (30′), 3-0 Baumjohann (71′), 3-1 Pizarro (79′), 3-2 Diego (89′)
Yellow cards: Daems, Matmour – Naldo, Jensen, Diego, Pizarro
Referee: Manuel Gräfe (Berlin)
Attendance: 54,067 (Borussia-Park)
source: werder.de
Click here or enter trough the Matches page to see pictures from the game
