UEFA CUP
Germany winger Piotr Trochowski drew first blood for Hamburg in the first-leg of the all-German UEFA Cup semi-final as his winning goal sealed a 1-0 win at Bundesliga rivals Werder Bremen on Thursday.
“My team did particularly well in the first half and even though Bremen were better after the break, we still created one or two chances,” said Hamburg coach Martin Jol after the diminutive Trochowski’s first-half header.
PHOTO: REUTERS
“That was a good result for us — I have never seen Trochowski score with his head before!” he said.
But Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf insisted it will be a different matter at Hamburg next week.
“My team needs to understand that a game consists of two halves and we must do well in both periods,” Schaaf said. “Although it was an entertaining game, I think the replay will be a classic.”
This was the second of four derbies between the north Germany neighbors who met each other in the German Cup last week, play twice in consecutive weeks in the UEFA Cup before meeting again in the Bundesliga on May 10.
It was revenge for visitors Hamburg after their German Cup semi-final heart-break the previous week at the hands of Bremen.
Goalkeeper Tim Wiese had been Werder’s hero the week before when his three consecutive saves in the penalty shoot-out as Hamburg knocked the hosts out of the German Cup.
Not since 1989 have two German teams reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup and this was this first time in 26 years Hamburg have reached a European semi-final.
Hamburg went ahead here when midfielder Guy Demel crossed the ball in from the right and Trochowski headed home from close-range giving Wiese no chance on 28 minutes.
Shakhtar Donetsk will take a slight advantage into the second leg of their UEFA Cup semi-final against fellow Ukrainians Dynamo Kiev after drawing 1-1 against them in the first leg in Kiev on Thursday.
Fernandinho equalized team-mate Dmytro Chygrynskiy’s first-half own goal to make Shakhtar favorites to become the first Ukrainian side to qualify for a major European final since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Dynamo drew first blood when Chygrynskiy deflected Oleksandr Aliyev’s driven free-kick into his own net in the 22nd minute.
Neither side had shown much attacking endeavor in a muted opening and the visitors didn’t threaten until Brazilian winger Fernandinho tested Dynamo goalkeeper Stanyslav Bohush with a low shot on the half-hour mark.
Bohush then raced from his line to deny Luiz Adriano as Shakhtar grew bolder, but in first-half injury time Dynamo almost increased their lead when Correa’s deflected strike brushed the right-hand upright.
Artem Milevskiy glanced a header wide from another Aliyev set-piece in the early stages of the second period before defender Ognjen Vukojevic diverted an Aliyev long-ranger inches wide shortly afterwards.
Dynamo were firmly in the ascendancy, but in the 68th minute three of Shakhtar’s Brazilian contingent combined to craft a priceless equalizer.
Jadson sprang the offside trap with a pass to substitute Willian on the right and his low cross was slid home by Fernandinho, putting Shakhtar firmly in the driving seat prior to the second leg this Thursday.
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