THE SEMI-FINAL clash of the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) CUP was between Hamburg and Werder Bremen. Both these teams are now in the German Bundesliga. Hamburg was playing with Werder Bremen for the 135th time. Both these teams were playing to book themselves a spot in the final at Istanbul. Hamburg were the favourites to reach the UEFA Cup final with a 1 – 0 victory over Bremen in the first leg. German midfielder Piotr Trochowski scored for Hamburg within 28 minutes of the game, heading in at the far post for a cross by Guy Demel. Both Hamburg and Werder Bremen were looking very good in the match but the first half belonged to Hamburg. Bremen goalkeeper Tim Wiese, who stopped three penalties when Werder eliminated Hamburg in the semifinals of the German Cup last week, kept his team's chances alive in the two-legged semi-final with several good saves, including one from Ivica Olic early in the game. The goalkeeper also turned away striker Paolo Guerrero's low shot in the 22nd minute.

 

Werder also had the upper hand early in the second half and Hugo Almeida nearly beat Rost with a header after the Hamburg goalkeeper had failed to handle a cross. But Rost recovered to make a good save.Defender Sebastian Boenisch narrowly missed in the 59th and Almeida missed with another header before he was replaced by Markus Rosenberg.Guerrero got his second booking then and will miss the return leg.The win put Hamburg close to its first final in a European competition since it won the European Cup, the precursor to the Champions League, in 1983. The answer to who will win the first semi-final against Hamburg and Werder Bremen can be answered only after the return leg match between them.