Date:16/02/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/02/16/stories/2007021604712200.htm

Sport - Football

Bremen blanks Ajax

GOOD ONE: Bremen's Per Mertesacker (right) is congratulated by teammates Daniel Jensen and Naldo (from left) after scoring against Ajax.

LONDON: Werder Bremen punished 10-man Ajax 3-0 and Bayer Leverkusen edged Blackburn Rovers 3-2 as both German clubs won their first-leg UEFA Cup matches on Wednesday.

Ajax lost midfielder Olaf Lindenbergh in the 23rd minute, sent off for a second yellow card.

Per Mertesacker gave Bremen the lead three minutes into the second half, Ronaldo Naldo added a second in the 54th and Torsten Frings hit the third in the 71st.

For Bayer Leverkusen, defender Jan-Ingwer Callsen-Bracker headed home Bernd Schneider's free-kick in the 18th minute but David Bentley replied with a deflected 25m free-kick in the 38th.

Leverkusen regained the lead two minutes before half-time when Carsten Ramelowstruck. Schneider scored a third in the 56th minute before Shabani Nonda reduced the margin.

The results: UEFA Cup (first round, first leg): Werder Bremen 3 (Mertesacker 48, Naldo 54, Frings 71) bt Ajax 0; Bayer Leverkusen 3 (Callsen-Bracker 18, Ramelow 48, Schneider 56) bt Blackburn Rovers 2 (Bentley 39, Nonda 86); Benfica 1 (Miccoli 90) bt Dinamo Bucharest 0; AEK Athens 0 lost to Paris St. Germain 2 (Traore 45+1, Mendey 88); Livorno 1 (Galante 82) lost to Espanyol 2 (Pandiani 28-pen, Yaagoubi 59); Hapoel Tel Aviv 2 (Toema 43, Dego 76) bt Rangers 1 (Novo 53); Fenerbahce 3 (Metin 28 & 75, Sanli 67) drew with AZ Alkmaar 3 (de Zeeuw 15, Boukhari 62, Jenner 63); CSKA Moscow 0 drew with Maccabi Haifa 0; Shakhtar Donetsk 1 (Srna 84) drew with AS Nancy 1 (Fortune 81). — Agencies