Werder Bremen eased past FC Aktobe of Kazakhstan 6-3 in the home first leg of the Play-Offs for the group stage of the UEFA Europa League, giving Thomas Schaaf’s team good chances of advancing to the next phase in the return leg next week. Mesut Özil and Naldo each scored two goals for Werder while Sebastian Boenisch and Hugo Almeida also hit the back of the net.

Schaaf’s men struggled early on in front of 21,446 spectators at Weser-Stadion while also making things more difficult with unnecessary mistakes in the backfield. Sebastian Boenisch opened the scoring in the 16th minute after a free kick by Mesut Özil. But the guests equalised just five minutes later through Sergei Strukov.

Özil’s free kick went in after 28 minutes but the Kazakhs again quickly levelled things after a mistake by keeper Tim Wiese as Strukov hit home again in the 32nd minute. Naldo however gave Werder a 3-2 lead at the break with a free kick blast in the 36th minute.

Aktobe began losing steam and Bremen took over the game for good. The subbed in Hugo Almeida increased the advantage to 4-2 after an hour and Naldo made it 5-2 after a corner kick just five minutes later. Özil then pushed the margin to 6-2 just two minutes later, converting a penalty after Claudio Pizarro was fouled in the area. Samat Smakov shortened the gap to 6-3 with a free kick goal four minutes before the final whistle. But Bremen finished off the game with a three-goal lead going into the return leg next week.

Werder Bremen:

Wiese – Fritz, Mertesacker, Naldo (76’ Pasanen), Boenisch – Frings, Borowski, Marin (46’ Hugo Almeida), Özil – Hunt, Pizarro (82’ Moreno Martins); reserves: Vander, Niemeyer, Bargfrede

FK Aktobe:

Sidelnikov – Badlo, Smakov, Logvinenko, Kenzhissariyev – Golovskoy (72’ Chichulin), Lavrik, Assanbaev (70’ Mytrofanov), Khayrullin, Averchenko – Strukov (84’ Tleshev)

Goals: 1-0 Boenisch (16’), 1-1 Strukov (21’), 2-1 Özil (28’), 2-2 Strukov (32’), 3-2 Naldo (36’), 4-2 Hugo Almeida (60’), 5-2 Naldo (65’), 6-2 Özil (67’ - penalty), 6-3 Smakov (86’)

Yellow cards: Naldo – Lavrik

Referee: Tony Asumaa (Finland)

Weser-Stadion: 21,446 Spectators