Werder progress to the last 16

Werder Bremen guaranteed their place among the last 16 teams in this season’s DFB Cup thanks to a narrow 2-1 (1-1) win against FC Erzgebirge Aue. The goals for the Green-Whites were scored by Claudio Pizarro (26’) and Markus Rosenberg (54’) after Fabian Müller had opened the scoring for the visitors (7’).

Thomas Schaaf’s side got off to a shaky start and very quickly found themselves trailing. Skerdilaid Curri played a pass to Fabian Müller and the 21 year old drove unstoppably past Tim Wiese into the top left corner, from all of 20 meters out, to put his side in front with the very first attempt on goal from the hosts. Just a minute later Aue created their second opening and very nearly doubled their lead. A long ball from the back was nodded into the path of Aue’s Mohammed El Berkani, who broke free on goal, but luckily for the Green-Whites, Naldo made up for his initial error with a well time challenge to rescue his side from going two behind.

Having recovered from their poor start, Werder began to take control of the match and went in search of an equaliser, with Pizarro proving especially threatening. Having come close twice with efforts in the 17th and 19th minutes, the Peruvian striker finally levelled the scores as he headed home a free-kick from Diego, with his back to goal, to make it 1-1 as the sides went into the half time break.

With just five minutes of the second half played, the ever menacing Pizarro came agonisingly close to putting his side in front with a shot that went just wide of the right post. Aue were not about to sit back and allow Werder to completely run the show though. Tim Wiese had to be alert to parry away a headed effort by Tomasz Kos which was goal-bound. Werder always looked the more likely to produce, and after a clever one-two with Pizarro, Markus Rosenberg broke away and slotted past Stephan Flauder in the Aue goal to make it 2-1 (54’).

The third division side threw caution to the wind as the tie came to a close and Wiese was again called into action to save a free-kick attempt from Curri. In the end the score was to stay at 2-1. Werder carry on now to the next round of the DFB Cup and the fans can continue to dream of another big day in Berlin.

The game at a glance:

FC Erzgebirge Aue: Flauder – Klingbeil, Kos, Paulus, F. Müller – Cimen, El Berkani (63‘ Hochscheidt), Hensel, Curri, Feick – Schmidt (60‘ Glasner).

Werder Bremen: Wiese, Pasanen (61‘ Fritz), Prödl, Naldo, Boenisch – Baumann, Vranjes (46‘ Hunt), Özil (80‘ Niemeyer), Diego – Rosenberg, Pizarro.

Goals: 1:0 F. Müller (7‘), 1:1 Pizarro (26‘), 1:2 Rosenberg (54‘)

Referee: Aytekin (Oberasbach)

source: werder.de