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Trochowski nets winner

LONDON: Hamburg made itself favourite to reach next month’s UEFA Cup final with a 1-0 semifinal win at Werder Bremen, and Shakhtar Donetsk is likely to fill the other spot after a 1-1 draw at Dynamo Kiev on Thursday.

Germany midfielder Piotr Trochowski hit the winning goal for Hamburg against its German rival in the 28th minute, heading in at the far post from a cross by Guy Demel.

Hamburg needs only to avoid defeat in next week’s second leg to qualify for the May 20 final in Istanbul. Shakhtar could make it through with a scoreless draw after securing a 1-1 result through a second-half goal by Fernandinho.

Wiese shines

Bremen goalkeeper Tim Wiese, who stopped three penalties when Werder eliminated Hamburg in the semifinals of the German Cup last week, kept his team’s chances alive in the two-legged semifinal with several good saves, including one from Ivica Olic early in the game.

The goalkeeper also turned away striker Paolo Guerrero’s low shot in the 22nd.

On the other side, Frank Rost was busy in Hamburg’s goal early in the match, foiling Diego for what was Bremen’s best chance. But after Bremen’s early pressure, Hamburg controlled the game and created several chances.

The one it did convert came when Trochowski headed Demel’s cross from the right flank over Wiese’s outstretched arms and just inside the far post.

Werder also had the upper hand early in the second half and Hugo Almeida nearly beat Rost with a header after the Hamburg goalkeeper had failed to handle a cross. But Rost recovered to make a good save.

The win put Hamburg close to its first final in a European competition since it won the European Cup, the precursor to the Champions League, in 1983.

Dynamo took the lead against its Ukrainian rival in the 22nd minute when Shakhtar defender Dmytro Chygrynskiy put Oleksandr Aliyev’s powerful free-kick into his own net while struggling with striker Artem Milevskiy at the far post.

The results (UEFA Cup semifinals, first leg):

At Kiev: Dynamo Kiev 1 (Chygrynskiy 22-og) drew with Shakhtar Donetsk 1 (Fernandinho 68).

At Bremen: Werder Bremen 0 lost to Hamburg 1 (Trochowski 28)). — Agencies

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