Paperweight Hamburg defeated

The UEFA Cup Semi-Finals were decided on Thursday, the first match being a dramatic late victory for Shakhtar Donetsk (2-1, 3-2 agg.) over Ukranian rivals Dynamo Kiev. But the all-German affair that was the second Semi-Final, 2nd Leg somehow managed to be more thrilling.

Werder Bremen lost their first leg 1-0 at home to Hamburg but produced a fine comeback to win 3-2 despite Ivica Olic’s opener.

Diego levelled with a solo effort, Claudio Pizarro fired in a long-ranger and then captain Frank Baumann headed in following bizarre circumstances, before Olic managed a late consolation to set up a nervy finish.

Bremen, who will be without Brazilian star Diego for the final after he picked up a booking that rules him out, will now face Ukranians Shakhtar in Istanbul on Wednesday 20 May.

Yet that seemed unlikely when Hamburg went 2-0 ahead on aggregate as Olic was played through early on and kept his cool to slot home from inside the box. But Bremen fought back brilliantly, getting themselves level on the night when Diego played a fine one-two with Pizarro before gloriously clipping home.

Diego saw a stunning 25-yard shot tipped on to the bar by Frank Rost before he got involved in a spat with Brazillian Alex Silva and picked up a booking that means he misses the final. But Werder continued to press and Pizarro turned away from two defenders outside the Hamburg box before lashing in, though Rost should have done much better.

The goal rocked Hamburg and they conceded another when Trochowski’s attempted goalline clearance was bravely headed in by Baumann. This goal came from a corner which was given after an attempted Hamburg clearance was distrupted by a piece of paper thrown on to the pitch by a supporter. The ball proceeded to bounce off the obstacle and then the baffled Hamburg defender. It was humourous at the time for the home side, but no-one in red was laughing when the scoreline read 1-3. Olic’s goal was a temporary reprieve, but it is the Bremen boys who have local bragging rights following this game, a German Cup Semi-Final victory a few weeks ago, and to compound the misery for Hamburg, they now have to play their neighbours in the league this weekend. The cities of Hamburg and Bremen are just 60 miles apart.

Werder Bremen’s opponents Shakhtar Donetsk became the first team from Ukraine to reach the UEFA Cup Final, which will be the last as the competition gets re-branded.