Third time unlucky for Hamburg

Werder Bremen built further momentum ahead of their looming UEFA Europa League final encounter with Shakthar Donetsk on the weekend, handing hapless Hamburg their third defeat in four encounters.

Bremen met Hamburg just days after eliminating the North German club from the UEFA Europa League, and the Hamburgers once again failed to contain the Bremen attack despite the absence of their opponents’ semifinal goalscorers, Diego and Claudio Pizarro.

“We take this game very seriously,” said Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf. “The team worked hard the whole week and we were rewarded for with a good win. It was great to see the players getting the reward.”

The loss capped a dreadful week for Hamburg, who now find themselves in a battle to qualify for European competition for next season. The result also put Hamburg out of contention for the Bundesliga title, with the club 5 points off the pace with three matches left in the season.

“Both teams were fighting hard in the first half,” said Hamburg coach Martin Jol. “But there was a certain lethargy in both teams. We always tried to take the initiative against Werder, but we seemed to be always chasing the game and we weren’t productive enough. Therefore, Werder earned the victory.”