A second-half wonder goal by Hamburg’s Croatian striker Ivica Olic sealed a 2-1 win over Werder Bremen on Sunday.
Olic’s goal — his fifth of the season — on 74 minutes from outside the penalty area was superb as he drove his shot into the top left-hand corner giving Bremen goalkeeper Tim Wiese no chance.
“It was great to see the goal go in, but it was more important for us to pick up the three points,” Olic said.
PHOTO: AFP
“I knew it was going on as soon as it left my boot, it was a nice feeling.”
Bremen have now won just two of their last seven league games and the defeat is hardly ideal preparation for tomorrow’s Champions League trip to Anorthosis Famagusta — a game Bremen must win if they are to progress.
Hamburg took the lead on Sunday when Peru striker Jose Paolo Guerrero fired home after Wiese parried a shot from Croatia striker Mladen Petric, but the south American smashed home the rebound on six minutes.
Diego scored his seventh goal in 10 games when he curled his shot around the Hamburg defense and although home goalkeeper Frank Rost got a glove to the shot, Werder equalized on 24 minutes.
The result leaves erratic Hamburg — they have both won and lost three of their last six league games — fifth in the league while Bremen are ninth.
On Saturday, another five-star performance from France midfielder Franck Ribery helped third-placed Bayern Munich to a 4-1 win over Energie Cottbus on to keep the pressure on leaders Hoffenheim.
The league leaders are now three points clear of rivals Bayer Leverkusen after their 3-1 win at Cologne after Leverkusen slumped to a 2-1 defeat to Arminia Bielefeld.
And Hertha Berlin kept up their pressure on the league leaders with an impressive 3-2 win at snowy Bochum to go fourth in the table.
Schalke 04 moved up to seventh thanks to their 3-1 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach.
There was a rough afternoon for goalkeeper Jens Lehmann as he leaked four goals in Wolfsburg’s 4-1 win over Stuttgart.
Eintracht Frankfurt did their flagging league position the power of good with a rampant 4-0 win over Hanover.
German Bundesliga
Team P GD PTS
1 TSG Hoffenheim 14 17 31
2 Bayer Leverkusen 14 15 28
3 Bayern Munich 14 12 28
4 Hertha Berlin 14 3 27
5 Hamburg 14 0 26
6 Borussia Dortmund 14 7 24
7 Schalke 04 13 9 23
8 Wolfsburg 14 10 22
9 Werder Bremen 14 6 20
10 Cologne 14 -5 19
11 Vfb Stuttgart 14 -2 18
12 Eintrach Frankfurt 14 -4 16
13 Hannover 96 14 -12 13
14 Arminia Bielefeld 14 -9 12
15 Borussia M’gladbach 14 -12 11
16 Vfl Bochum 14 -6 10
17 Karlsruhe 14 -13 10
18 Cottbus 14 -16 9
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