Werder Bremen lost their UEFA Cup semi-final first leg at home 1-0 against Hamburg. The only goal of the night was scored by Hamburg's German international Piotr Trochowski on a header in the 28th minute off a cross by Guy Demel.

After Werder won last week's semi-final of the German DFB Cup in Hamburg, the second of four derby matches within 19 days took place in Weser-Stadion. Clemens Fritz, Sebastian Boenisch, Mesut Özil and Claudio Pizarro all returned to the starting formation while Sebastian Prödl, Dusko Tosic, Peter Niemeyer and Markus Rosenberg watched from the sidelines. Werder keeper Tim Wiese was challenged straight away after two minutes, stopping Ivica Olic after he had broken through to keep Werder from falling behind.

Neither team shied away offensively with Diego testing Hamburg keeper Frank Rost with a long-distance blast. And Wiese was on hand again after 22 minutes, blocking away a fine shot by Jose Paolo Guerrero. But six minutes later the Werder keeper was defenseless as Guy Demel sent a high cross from the right side to Trochowski, who beat Wiese by header to the far upper right corner. And Rost kept his team in front shortly before the break by stopping Pizarro.

Hugo Almeida nearly equalised with a header six minutes after intermission, but the Portuguese striker could not beat Rost, who had earlier underestimated a cross from Fritz. Mid-way through the second half, Olic again was unable to solve Wiese with a looping shot. And at the other end, Per Mertesacker was close to equalising from near distance. Werder pushed forward with everything they had looking to knot the score. Rosenberg had room in the 71st but shot over the crossbar and Diego's deflected shot in the 75th went just wide before Pizarro just missed from 16 yards in the 78th. The march forward continued until the end but Rost proved unbeatable on this night. And Thomas Schaaf's team now must wait until 7 May to make up the result in Hamburg.

The game at a glance:

Werder Bremen: Wiese – Fritz (85' Prödl), Mertesacker, Naldo, Boenisch - Frings - Tziolis, Özil - Diego - Pizarro, Almeida (61' Rosenberg)

Hamburger SV: Rost - Demel, Gravgaard, Mathijsen, Aogo (Benjamin 79') - Jarolim, Alex Silva (J. Boateng 76'), Pitroipa, Guerrero, Trochowski - Olic (Torun 90+1')

Goals: 0-1 Trochowski (28')

Referee: Howard Webb (England)

Weser-Stadion: 37,500 (sold-out)

Yellow cards: Tziolis - Aogo, Alex Silva, Guerrero