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Espanyol down Werder Bremen
Espanyol took a big lead in the UEFA Cup semifinals Thursday, beating Werder Bremen 3-0 in the first leg.
Barcelona:
Espanyol took a big lead in the UEFA Cup semifinals Thursday, beating Werder Bremen 3-0 in the first leg.
Moises Hurtado, Walter Pandiani and Ferran Corominas each scored at Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium for the 1988 finalists.
The second leg is scheduled for next Thursday in Germany. The final is at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland, on May 16.
"People are very happy but nothing is done yet," Espanyol coach Ernesto Valverde was quoted by news agency Efe. "We were especially motivated, organized and accurate. Our team has really involved itself in this competition right from the start."
In the other semifinal, Osasuna beat defending champion Sevilla 1-0.
Bremen, aiming for a second appearance in a European final, had goalkeeper Tim Wiese sent off in the 58th minute for a foul on Raul Tamudo.
"Espanyol played efficiently. Everything it did worked, plus it was a bit lucky," Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf said. "We know we'll need an incredible second leg and will have to make a huge effort, but we've shown in the past it's not beyond us in Bremen."
Ivan De La Pena passed a short corner to Francisco Perez Rufete in the 20th and the former Spain international lofted the ball into the penalty area for Moises to head home.
The hosts doubled their lead in the 50th, again from De La Pena's corner.
This time, the midfielder curled it in and Pandiani, the UEFA Cup's top scorer, met the ball with a glancing header for his 11th goal.
Andreas Reinke, who replaced Wiese and saw his first real action in the 83rd when he deflected Rufete's shot, was beaten four minutes later when Corominas scored Espanyol's third goal following a swift counterattack.
Moises Hurtado, Walter Pandiani and Ferran Corominas each scored at Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium for the 1988 finalists.
The second leg is scheduled for next Thursday in Germany. The final is at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland, on May 16.
"People are very happy but nothing is done yet," Espanyol coach Ernesto Valverde was quoted by news agency Efe. "We were especially motivated, organized and accurate. Our team has really involved itself in this competition right from the start."
In the other semifinal, Osasuna beat defending champion Sevilla 1-0.
Bremen, aiming for a second appearance in a European final, had goalkeeper Tim Wiese sent off in the 58th minute for a foul on Raul Tamudo.
"Espanyol played efficiently. Everything it did worked, plus it was a bit lucky," Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf said. "We know we'll need an incredible second leg and will have to make a huge effort, but we've shown in the past it's not beyond us in Bremen."
Ivan De La Pena passed a short corner to Francisco Perez Rufete in the 20th and the former Spain international lofted the ball into the penalty area for Moises to head home.
The hosts doubled their lead in the 50th, again from De La Pena's corner.
This time, the midfielder curled it in and Pandiani, the UEFA Cup's top scorer, met the ball with a glancing header for his 11th goal.
Andreas Reinke, who replaced Wiese and saw his first real action in the 83rd when he deflected Rufete's shot, was beaten four minutes later when Corominas scored Espanyol's third goal following a swift counterattack.
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