Werder Bremen 3 – Inter Milan 0

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Watched by Germany World Cup defender and Bundesliga teammate PER MERTESACKER (29), Werder Bremen’s Germany international goalkeeper TIM WIESE (1) plays the ball away from Macedonia international winger GORAN PANDEV (21) of defending European champion Inter Milan at the Weserstadion in the north German port city. (Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty Images)
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UEFA Champions League
Group Stage
12/7/2010

3 – Werder Bremen (GER) ——— Proedl 39′, Arnautovic 49′, Pizarro 88′
0 – Inter Milan (ITA)

A question of character and pride for a team with no hope of continuing in Europe this season is answered as host Bundesliga side WERDER BREMEN blew away visting Italian Serie A side and defending tournament champions INTER MILAN 3-0 in the final round of play for Group A of the UEFA Champions League.

Inter Milan, tied with English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur on ten points heading into the last round at the group stage, might have taken the hosts a bit lightly. Spanish manager RAFAEL BENITEZ gave LUCA CASTELLAZZI, the 35-year-old signed this summer from Sampdoria of Genoa who has been starting in place of injured Brazil World Cup goalkeeper JULIO CESAR since the beginning of November, the night off. Instead, veteran third choice PAOLO ORLANDONI was given his UEFA Champions League debut by the Italian side.

Orlandoni has been with Inter Milan since the summer of 2005 but has played exactly four Serie A matches since; the 38-year-old had not started a match since the 2007-08 season.

Werder Bremen, perhaps better able to cope with the cold weather, took the initiative and would outshoot Inter Milan 14-5 for the evening.

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Werder Bremen’s highly-experienced, 34-year-old veteran defensive midfielder TORSTEN FRINGS, who has won 79 caps (10 goals) and been a member of two FIFA World Cup squads for Germany, fights for the ball with prolific Cameroon World Cup forward SAMUEL ETO’O (right), who leads Inter Milan with nine goals in Serie A this term, at the Weserstadion. (Christian Charisius/Reuters)
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Pressure from Werder Bremen finally paid off for the home side when Austria international defender SEBASTIAN PROEDL elevated himself to head the corner kick of veteran Germany international midfielder TORSTEN FRINGS into the net in the 39th minute.

Proedl, the only player to appear for injury-hit Werder Bremen in all 15 Bundesliga games this season, celebrated his first goal in any competition for die Gruen-Weissen this term.

Another Austria international, MARKO ARNAUTOVIC, added a second goal for Werder Bremen just after the break. The 21-year-old striker, who made just three Serie A substitute appearances all season for Inter Milan after being sent out on loan by Dutch club FC Twente Enschede last year, took a curling cross from Portugal World Cup striker HUGO ALMEIDA and snapped an impressive side-volley past Orlandoni. Arnautovic, who has scored two goals in a dozen Bundesliga matches this season, counts another pair from European play this term.

Peru international striker CLAUDIO PIZARRO, who has started just six Bundesliga games while struggling with fitness this season, posted the final tally after coming on as a substitute in the final quarter hour.

The 32-year-old striker, who has 35 Bundesliga goals for Werder Bremen since signing from English outfit FC Chelsea in August of 2009, turned sharply after a ball from 30-year-old Germany international defender CLEMENS FRITZ and blasted a shot from just above the penalty arc beyond the reach of the diving Orlandoni.

Pizarro, who ended as Werder Bremen’s leader with three goals in the UEFA Champions League this year, has now posted seven Tore in all competitions for the north German club.

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Cameroon World Cup striker SAMUEL ETO’O of defending UEFA Champions League champion Inter Milan, who scored three goals in his club’s 4-0 defeat of Werder Bremen in the UEFA Champions League at the end of September in Italy, is left out in the cold both literally and figuratively in the return meeting at the Weserstadion in northern Germany. (Martin Meissner/AP)
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WERDER BREMEN : Wiese – Schmidt, Mertesacker, Proedl, Pasanen (Silvestre 83′) – Fritz, Frings (Bargfrede 78′) – Marin, Hunt – Almeida (Pizarro 76′), Arnautovic

INTER MILAN : Orlandoni – Zanetti (Natalino 54′), Cordoba, Cambiasso, Biraghi – Nwankwo, Muntari – Santon (Biabiany 50′), Motta (Mariga 76′), Pandev – Eto’o

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(Frank Augstein)
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(Frank Augstein/AP)
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(Frank Augstein/AP)
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(Christian Charisius/Reuters)
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(Christian Charisius/Reuters)
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(Martin Meissner/AP)
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(Martin Meissner/AP)
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MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

Arsenal Fall Apart – First Tottenham Triumph For 17 Years

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23-year-old Cameroon World Cup midfielder ALEXANDRE SONG (17) of FC Arsenal chases after Tottenham Hotspur’s France World Cup defender WILLIAM GALLAS (13), who left the Gunners after four seasons this summer as a free agent when the 33-year-old veteran’s demand for 80,000 English pounds per week on a two-year contract was not met, during an exciting and dramatic North London Derby at the 470.0 million English pound Emirates Stadium in the capital city of England. (Ian Kington/AFP/Getty Images)
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Cowardice under fire contributes greatly to a Gunners’ Collapse as the hosts throw away a two-goal start in the 169th edition of the always-entertaining North London Derby; a glancing header allows visiting TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR to grab a late winner as FC ARSENAL fall from football grace 3-2 at home in the posh Emirates Stadium and pass on the opportunity to go top of the English Premier League.

The estimated 27 million Arsenal supporters worldwide, as well as their furry friends from the animal kingdom, must now hang their heads in collective shame as dreaded arch-rival Tottenham capture their first away triumph in the North London Derby for seventeen long years; the come-from-behind victory was, of course, Spurs’ first-ever at the Emirates.

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Poland international goalkeeper LUKASZ FABIANSKI of FC Arsenal, a purchase of 2.0 million English pounds from Polish side Legia Warszawa in May of 2007, fumbles the ball in a collision with Tottenham Hotspur’s England World Cup striker PETER CROUCH as the Gunners’ France World Cup defender GAEL CLICHY (22) watches at the Emirates Stadium. (Matt Dunham/AP)
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Arsenal got out of the gate quickly in the North London Derby with goals in the ninth minute from France international winger SAMIR NASRI and then another from Morocco international striker MAROUANE CHAMAKH in the 27th minute which, perhaps, produced a bit of complacency.

The turning point in the match arrived in the 67th minute when Tottenham Hotspur were awarded a free kick. Inexcusably, the players on the end of Arsenal’s wall had their courage desert them at the moment of truth and would not keep their arms down in a desperate bid to stem the turning tide. The Gods of Football, however, would not let the transgression stand.

Holland World Cup midfielder RAFAEL VAN DER VAART, who scored 52 goals in 117 Eredvisie games for de Godenzonen before his 5.5 million Euro transfer to German Bundesliga side SV Hamburg in June of 2005, saw to it that justice prevailed from the penalty spot with his sixth goal on his 10th Premier League appearance for Tottenham Hotspur.

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Holland World Cup midfielder RAFAEL VAN DER VAART (11) of Tottenham Hotspur watches as FC Arsenal’s cowardly, cheating pair of Spain World Cup champion midfielder CESC FABREGAS (end of wall) and Morocco international striker MAROUANE CHAMAKH raise their arms to block the free kick and protect the dwindling second half lead during the North London Derby at the Emirates Stadium. (Matt Dunham/AP)
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As the cowardly and culpable Morocco international striker MAROUANE CHAMAKH (29) of FC Arsenal observes, Holland World Cup midfielder RAFAEL VAN DER VAART (11) of Tottenham Hotspur, the former Ajax Amsterdam and SV Hamburg man who arrived with the price tag of 11.0 million Euros from Real Madrid at the transfer deadline, finds justice from the spot and sends FC Arsenal’s Poland international goalkeeper LUKASZ FABIANSKI the wrong way with his penalty at the Emirates Stadium. (Matt Dunham/AP)
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(Ian Kington/AFP/Getty Images)
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(Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
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After outdueling the Arsenal defense to get a head on the free kick of the not-pictured Holland World Cup midfielder Rafael Van der Vaart, Tottenham Hotspur’s former France U-21 international defender YOUNES KABOUL (4) watches his ball beat FC Arsenal’s Polish international custodian LUKASZ FABIANSKI for the game-winning goal in the 169th North London Derby at the Emirates Stadium. (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
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Manager ARSENE WENGER, who has been in charge of FC Arsenal since October of 1996, buries his face in his hands as the Gunners go down to defeat in consecutive matches at home for the first time in 13 years and, perhaps even worse, lose to fiercest rival Tottenham Hotspur at home, in disgraceful fashion to boot, for the first time ever during the long reign of the Frenchman. (Matt Dunham/AP)
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North London Derby match-winner YOUNES KABOUL, who rejoined Spurs from FC Portsmouth for a reported 9.5 million English pounds in January of 2010, is congratulated by Wales international midfielder GARETH BALE (left) and England international midfielder JERMAINE JENAS (8) as Tottenham Hotspur topple North London rival FC Arsenal away in for the first time in 17 years in dramatic fashion at the relatively new Emirates Stadium in the Borough of Islington. (Ian Kington/AFP/Getty Images)

North London Derby : Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur

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NORTH LONDON DERBY
Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur

All-Time Record
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League — Arsenal 61, Spurs 46, tied 42
FA Cup — Arsenal 3, Spurs 2, tied 0
Lge Cup — Arsenal 7 , Spurs 3, tied 3
Charity Shield — Arsenal 0, Spurs 0, tied 1

TOTAL — Arsenal 71, Spurs 51, tied 46

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England 1990 World Cup midfielder PAUL GASCOIGNE (8) fires a famous shot for Tottenham Hotspur in the long-running North London neighborhood battle with dreaded arch-rival FC Arsenal. (dailymail.co.uk photo)

Werder Bremen 2 – Tottenham Hotspur 2

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Austrian international striker MARKO ARNAUTOVIC (7), for whom Werder Bremen paid Dutch club FC Twente Enschede a little over 5.5 million English pounds this summer, and Tottenham Hotspur’s England World Cup defender LEDLEY KING maneuver for the ball at the Weserstadion in northwest Germany. (Fabian Bimmer/AFP/Getty Images)
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UEFA Champions League
Group Stage
9/14/2010

2 – Werder Bremen (GER) ————- Almeida 43′, Marin 47′
2 – Tottenham Hotspur (ENG) —— own goal 12′, Crouch 18′

Home-standing WERDER BREMEN went behind two goals inside the first twenty minutes but rallied to score two minutes before and after the halftime whistle to split the points with TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR in the first round of Group A play for the UEFA Champions League.

The visitors took the lead in the 12th minute when Werder Bremen’s Finland international defender PETRI PASANEN put the cross of Wales international midfielder GARETH BALE into his own net; England World Cup striker PETER CROUCH headed home the cross of Dutch World Cup midfielder RAFAEL VAN DER WAART, the former SV Hamburg hired gun, to double Tottenham Hotspur’s advantage six minutes later.

Werder Bremen coach THOMAS SCHAAF switched midfielder PHILIPP BARGFREDE for Germany international winger AARON HUNT in the 37th minute, however, and the move seemed to have an effect.

In the 43rd minute, Portugal World Cup forward HUGO ALMEIDA beat a pair of Tottenham Hotspur defenders to head in the notable cross of Werder Bremen’s new Brazilian midfielder WESLEY, a summer signing from FC Santos, and halve the home side’s deficit.

Not long after the restart, 21-year-old Germany international midfielder MARKO MARIN skipped a right-footed drive past Tottenham Hotspur’s veteran Italian goalkeeper CARLO CUDICINI to level the match for Werder Bremen.

Hunt had a late chance to win it for Werder Bremen, but blasted his shot straight at the Tottenham keeper.

Cudicini, who had four saves on the night, made his third consecutive start in all competitions for the London-based club against Werder Bremen; the 37-year-old long-time Chelsea shot-stopper had replaced the injured Brazil international goalkeeper GOMES at halftime in the second leg of Tottenham Hotspur’s playoff tie with Swiss club Young Boys Berne.

Both sides were missing a key player not only up front, but in the back, as well.

Tottenham Hotspur were without defender MICHAEL DAWSON and striker JERMAINE DEFOE, a pair from England’s World Cup expedition to South Africa this summer who were both felled on international duty in the European Championships for England this fall.

Meanwhile, on the shelf for Werder Bremen were World Cup defender PER MERTESACKER, who fractured his eye socket in Germany’s European Championship qualifier with Azerbaijan last week, and Peru international attacker CLAUDIO PIZARRO, who is carrying a thigh injury.

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WERDER BREMEN : Wiese – Fritz, Pasanen, Proedl, Silvestre – Frings – Bargfrede (Hunt 37′), Marin, Wesley (Borowski 67′) – Arnautovic, Almeida (Wagner 79′)

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR : Cudicini – Corluka, Kaboul, King, Assou Ekotto – Huddlestone – Lennon (Palacios 76′), Jenas, Bale, van der Waart (Keane 49′) – Crouch

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Almeida’s header just before halftime lifted Werder Bremen back into the Champions League Group A match with Tottenham Hotspur at the Weserstadion. (Reuters photo)
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Portugal World Cup forward HUGO ALMEIDA (23) celebrates his first goal in the Champions League this term for Werder Bremen with veteran France international defender MIKAEL SILVESTRE (16), a recent arrival to the Hanseatic city club from FC Arsenal in London. (Reuters photo)