Werder Bremen held on for a 1-1 draw at home against Hamburg on the 34th and final game day of the Bundesliga to secure third place and a spot in the qualification for the Champions League. In the 92nd North Derby, Claudio Pizarro scored for Thomas Schaaf’s men – a goal which pulled the Peruvian striker even with Giovane Elber for the most Bundesliga goals for a foreigner with 133. Ruud van Nistelrooy scored the equaliser for Hamburg.

Bremen head coach Thomas Schaaf did not make a change from the team that beat Schalke. A sold-out crowd of 41,150 saw Werder keeper Tim Wiese make a superb stop on the first chance of the game by Hamburg’s Ruud van Nistelrooy in the eighth minute. The game lacked highlights after that until Bremen centre back Naldo stopped a cross into the box with Jonathan Pitroipa lurking behind him late in the first half. The Green-Whites finally had a golden opportunity a minute before intermission but Claudio Pizarro headed only against the inside of the right post. And the game was even at 0-0 at half-time.

Schaaf did not make any changes out of the locker room but had to watch as van Nistelrooy headed wide seven minutes after the break. The Green-Whites took the lead after 59 minutes on two excellent actions. Clemens Fritz beat Jonathan Pitroipa down the right side for a cross into the box where Pizarro finished with a classy heel shot. Pizarro was close to record goal 134 just minutes later but headed right. Tim Wiese was kept busy in stops on van Nistelrooy (65th) and Mladen Petric (67th) before Bremen’s Hugo Almeida shot at Hamburg keeper Frank Rost from point blank (68th). Schaaf made two substitutions with a quarter-hour left with Aaron Hunt coming in for Tim Borowski and Marko Marin entering for Almeida. Hamburg, however, equalised with eight minutes to play as van Nistelrooy blasted home a pass from Ze Roberto. In the end, the Green-Whites held on for the draw and third place with 61 points – two more than Bayer Leverkusen. And Thomas Schaaf and the team secured third place – and their minimum goal for the season: qualification for the Champions League!

Werder Bremen: Wiese – Fritz, Mertesacker, Naldo, Pasanen – Frings, Borowski (73’ Hunt), Bargfrede, Özil (90; Prödl)– Pizarro, Almeida (77’ Marin); reserves: Wiedwald – Boenisch, Jensen, Rosenberg

Hamburg: Rost – Demel, Boateng, Mathijsen, Aogo (73’ Elia) – Zé Roberto, Jarolim, Trochowski, Pitroipa – Petric, van Nistelrooy

Goals: 1-0 (59’) Pizarro, 1-1 (82’) van Nistelrooy

Yellow cards: Bargfrede, Frings (both Werder) – Jarolim, Pitroipa (both Hamburg)

Referee: Michael Weiner (Giesen)

Weser-Stadium: 41,150 spectators sold out)