Olympiakos vs Werder Bremen 3-0 Goal Highlights Champions League 11-12-2007

Champions League

Scorers: Ieroklis Stoltidis 12, 74, Darko Kovacevic 70

Halftime: 1-0; Attendance: 33,000

Two goals by Ieroklis Stoltidis and one from Darko Kovacevic sent Olympiakos Piraeus into the knockout stage of the Champions League for the first time in nine years after a 3-0 win over Werder Bremen on Tuesday.

Ever-present in the group stages since reaching the quarter-finals in 1998-99, Olympiakos have consistently failed in the quest for European glory and their latest achievement was therefore given a rapturous welcome by the capacity crowd.

The Greek side finished second behind Real Madrid, who beat Lazio 3-1 in the other game in Group C, only because of a worse head-to-head record against the Spanish champions.

"We deserved it, we played well throughout the competition," said midfielder Stoltidis looking forward to the knockout phase.

"It was clear from the start of the season that something had changed in the team's attitude especially with regard to how we approach Champions League games.

"I like our philosophy and the way we play."

PERFECT START

Going into the game needing a draw to qualify, Olympiakos had the perfect start when Lomana LuaLua found an unmarked Stoltidis just outside the penalty area.

The midfielder's left foot strike thundered past Bremen keeper Time Wiese to put the home side ahead after 12 minutes.

LuaLua twice went close immediately afterwards while Olympiakos goalkeeper Antonis Nikopolidis had to make a couple of sharp saves at the other end.

Olympiakos had a let off early in the second half when Costas Mendrinos stuck out a leg to clear Naldo's powerful header off the line and Nikopolidis had to make a point-blank save to deny Boubacar Sanogo.

The decisive moment came in the 70th minute when Anastasios Pantos made ground down the left and sent over a fine cross that Kovacevic headed past Wiese.

Four minutes later, it was all over as Stoltidis stepped inside a defender to drive the ball home from close range and send Olympiakos into the last 16.

A disappointing night for Werder left them only with the condolation of a place in the last 32 of the UEFA Cup.

Olympiakos: 71-Antonios Nikopolidis; 30-Anastasios Pantos, 18-Paraskevas Antzas, 14-Michal Zewlakow, 35-Vassilis Torosidis; 2-Christos Patsatzoglou (19-Costas Mendrinos 24), 28-Cristian Ledesma, 6-Ieroklis Stoltidis; 7-Luciano Galletti (10-Leonel Nunez 85), 9-Darko Kovacevic (22-Costas Mitroglou 82), 32-Lomana LuaLua

Werder Bremen: 1-Tim Wiese; 8-Clemens Fritz, 6-Frank Baumann (13-Dusko Tosic 82), 4-Naldo, 3-Petri Pasanen; 20-Daniel Jensen, 7-Jurica Vranjes (14-Aaron Hunt 58), 24-Tim Borowski, 10-Diego; 18-Boubacar Sanogo (23-Hugo Almeida 67), 9-Markus Rosenberg