Werder Bremen 3-1 Sampdoria

Scorers: Fritz 50 (W), Frings pen 67 (W), Pizarro 69 (W), Pazzini 90 (S).
Sent off: Lucchini 66 (S).

Mimmo Di Carlo's competitive début on the Sampdoria bench didn't go well but Giampaolo Pazzini's late strike keeps Sampdoria's Champions League hopes alive.

The Blucerchiati line-up for this game reflected their lack of activity in the summer transfer market. Massimo Volta was a slightly surprising choice at right-back. Daniele Mannini and Fernando Tissone were preferred to Stefano Guberti and Andrea Poli in midfield.

The Italian club's 2,500 tickets sold out in just 30 minutes and the away section of the Weserstadion was full 90 minutes before kick-off. Samp started brightly and had the first chance of the match in the fourth minute when Angelo Palombo's clever free kick found Pazzini's head but the striker couldn't get his effort on target.

Ten minutes later, Pazzini had the ball in the net after a Franco Semioli cross but the striker was correctly flagged offside.

Gianluca Curci, another Samp debutant, first parried a long distance Hunt shot and then punch the ball off the head of Hunt.

On the half-hour mark, an Almeida header went narrowly over the crossbar. Moments before half-time, a fierce long distance shot from Bargfrede brought a good save out of Curci.

Bremen's breakthrough came shortly after half-time. Tissone's poor clearance from the edge of the box found Clemens Fritz in space. His left-footed strike flew into the top corner past a helpless Curci.

The Germans were now firmly on top and Hunt flashed a daisy-cutter across the face of goal.

However, Sampdoria were unlucky not to equalise just before the hour-mark. Mannini and Cassano combined well to set up Pazzini, whose shot beat Tim Wiese but hit the post.

A few minutes later, the Italian team was down to 10 men. Stefano Lucchini received his second yellow card from the French referee for a pull on Prodl's shirt in the Sampdoria penalty area. Torsten Frings buried the resultant penalty, despite Curci guessing the right way.

As a result of the sending off, Doria were forced to sacrifice Semioli in favour of an extra defender, Marius Stankevicius. Moments later, it was 3-0. Bremen's third was a fine team move. Hugo Almeida's backheel found Claudio Pizarro, who then beat Curci from eight yards.

Guberti cut in from the left and curled a shot narrowly wide of the far post. Stankevicius hit a powerful effort from the edge of the area, but it was off target.

Antonio Cassano was booked for diving but ten-man Samp did not give in. In the final minute, a Stankevicius cross from the right found Pazzini's head. The Italian made no mistake this time and his header nestled in the bottom corner.

Curci was forced into one last save in stoppage time but the first leg finished 3-1. Sampdoria know that a 2-0 win at home in the second leg will ensure they advance to the group stage for the first time since 1992.

Werder Bremen: Wiese; Pasanen (Boenisch 77), Mertesacker, Prodl, Fritz; Bargfrede, Frings, Borowski; Hunt (Marin 85); Pizarro, Hugo Almeida (Arnautovic 88).

Sampdoria: Curci; Volta, Gastaldello, Lucchini, Ziegler; Semioli (Stankevicius 68), Palombo, Tissone (Poli 59), Mannini (Guberti 65); Cassano, Pazzini.

Referee: Lannoy (Fra)

JC