Jol's Hamburg in pole-position to reach final
Martin Jol doing a great job at Hamburg
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Thursday, 30, Apr 2009 10:22
Hamburg are in control of their Uefa Cup semi-final tie against Werder Bremen after claiming a 1-0 win away at the Weserstadion.
In a thoroughly enjoyable all-German affair, Hamburg looked dangerous on the break and almost took the lead inside two minutes when Ivica Olic was sent through on goal, but saw his shot saved by Tim Wiese.
The Martin Jol managed Hamburg, who are looking for a league and Uefa Cup double, grabbed a crucial away goal after 28 minutes. A typically quick counter-attack from Hamburg found Guy Demel on the right wing and he floated a ball into the penalty area which Piotr Trochowski headed home.
Bremen almost grabbed an equaliser on the stroke of half-time when former Chelsea forward Claudio Pizzaro had a free header, but could only push the ball wide.
The game continued to be open in the second-half, but it was Hamburg who looked the more likely to score.
The exciting Olic was released down the left-wing and sprinted into the penalty area, but the Croatian was unable to lift the ball over Wiese, who did well to stay on his feet and thwart Olic.
Bremen surged forward in the last few minutes, but Pizzaro and Naldo blazed over when well placed and Hamburg held to take a crucial advantage heading into the second-leg.
Meanwhile, in the other semi-final between Ukrainian sides Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kiev, it is Donetsk who hold the edge after scoring an away goal in a 1-1 draw at Kiev.
Kiev had taken the lead after a shot from Oleksandr Aliev took a deflection off Shakhtar defender Dmytro Chygrynsky and nestled in the back of the net.
Shakhtar grabbed a vital equaliser in the second-half when William slid the ball across the Kiev defence and Fernandinho was on hand to finish.