Bremen beats Munich 3-1 to capture Bundesliga title
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-05-09 09:55

Werder Bremen beat Bayern Munich 3-1 on Saturday to dethrone the defending champion and capture its first Bundesliga title since 1993.

Werder Bremen's Ivan Klasnic runs with the cardboard cutout replica of the German Soccer champion trophy after his team's 3-1 victory over FC Bayern Munich in their German first division soccer match in Munich, Germany, Saturday May 8, 2004. [AP]

Ivan Klasnic, Johan Micoud and Ailton scored in the first half at Munich's Olympic stadium to secure Bremen's fourth championship with two rounds remaining in the season.

The game featured a pair of Canadians on each side. Toronto's Paul Stalteri has been a fixture at fullback all season for Bremen while Calgary-raised Owen Hargreaves, who chose England over Canada for his international career, is an important midfield presence for Bayern.

Both were in their teams' starting lineups Saturday. Stalteri has started 31 of 32 games for Bremen this season. Hargreaves has appeared in 24 of Bayern's 32 league games with another six appearances in the Champions League.

Bremen toyed with the outgoing champion before a capacity crowd of 65,000 and proved beyond a doubt that it was the best team in the league.

"We worked very hard for this," Micoud said. "We've believed for a long time that we'd win the title, but we didn't speak about it openly."

Bremen now has 74 points and cannot be overtaken by Bayern, which is nine points behind at 65.

"It's sensational what we've done," Bremen's coach Thomas Schaaf said.

The defeat left Bayern, Germany's most successful club, without silverware this season. Bayern was knocked out of the Champions League in the second round and was eliminated from the German Cup by a second-division team.

But Bayern can still hope to clinch second place and direct qualification for the Champions League thanks to Stuttgart's 2-1 loss at Hamburger, SV.

Stuttgart (61 points) can cut the gap next week at home against Bayern. Bremen ran its unbeaten streak to 23 games.

The club from northern Germany has dominated the season and has won fans across the country with its attractive, offensive style.

Apart from striker Ailton, who leads the league with 27 goals, Bremen's game revolves around the playmaking skills of French star Micoud. Another Frenchmen, Valerien Ismael, anchors a stingy defence.

But Bremen will be without Ailton and another star defender, Mladen Krstajic, in next season's Champions League. Both are leaving for Bundesliga rival Schalke.

Ailton was crying openly as he hugged coach Schaaf after the match. Schaaf has been at the club since 1999.

Bayern began the season with the ambition of sweeping three trophies. Instead, coach Ottmar Hitzfeld was left pondering what went wrong with his star-studded side.

Bayern officials have stressed that Hitzfeld will serve out his contract, which runs out at the end of the next season.

Klasnic, a Croatian striker, capitalized on a huge mistake by Bayern captain and goalkeeper Oliver Kahn to put Bremen ahead after 19 minutes. Micoud made it 2-0 after 26 and Ailton added the third in the 35th.

It was the first time in 30 years that Bayern conceded three goals in the first 45 minutes.

"Bremen has played the best soccer this season and they didn't allow themselves to get distracted," Hitzfeld said. "It's an ironic twist of fate that Kahn, one of our best, makes this mistake."

Bayern was magnanimous in defeat and presented Bremen players with champagne after the match.

Roy Makaay got Bayern on the scoreboard in the 56th, driving home a good pass from Roque Santa Cruz. Bremen was less dominant in the second half, mostly trying to protect its lead.

"We showed that we are the best team of the season, we gave a good reply to Herr Hoeness," said Ismael, who had to leave the field after 70 minutes with an injury.

Ismael was alluding to the pre-game statement by Bayern general manager Uli Hoeness that his team would beat Bremen and show that it was the best team in the Bundesliga.

"To win the championship in Munich is the icing on the cake," said Bremen captain Frank Baumann.

Bremen also won the Bundesliga title in 1965, 1988 and 1993. It can complete a double if it wins the German Cup final May 29 against second-division Alemannia Aachen, the team that ousted Bayern.

Bayern never recovered from the shock Kahn mistake that gave Bremen the lead.

Kahn came off the line to stop a harmless-looking Bremen attack but Germany's No. 1 goalkeeper fumbled the ball and Klasnic put it into the empty net.

Micoud ended a quick Bremen move by sidefooting the ball over Kahn with a perfect lob.

Ailton raised his goal total with a brilliant left-footed shot from the edge of the area into the upper right corner of Kahn's goal.

In other matches, Bayer Leverkusen confirmed its fourth place and virtually sealed a place in the UEFA Cup next season with a 2-0 win over relegated Cologne. Leverkusen now has 59 points and can also threaten Stuttgart for third.

Hertha Berlin and Kaiserslautern all but secured places in the top division for the next season by winning key matches. Berlin hammered Borussia Dortmund 6-2 and Kaiserslautern beat Wolfsburg 3-2.

Eintracht Frankfurt looks certain to join Cologne in the second division after losing 3-0 at Hannover. Nuremberg has secured promotion after one season in the second division.

Moenchengladbach beat Schalke 2-0 to hurt the visitors' hopes of reaching the UEFA Cup.

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