Werder Bremen 3 - 3 Hertha BSC Berlin: Werder Bremen hold Hertha Berlin as Garcia leveller caps six-goal thriller

Posted Sunday, January 31, 2016 by PA

Werder Bremen came from behind to snatch a point off high-flying Hertha Berlin in a 3-3 thriller at the Weser Stadion.

Vladimir Darida and Marvin Plattenhardt put the visitors in the driving seat before half-time, but Fin Bartels gave the hosts hope midway through the second half.

Salomon Kalou restored Hertha's two-goal lead, but a Claudio Pizarro penalty and a header from Santiago Garcia enabled Bremen to take a point from the Bundesliga clash.

A succession of corners confirmed Hertha's growing pressure in the early stages, but the goal which put them in front came almost out of nowhere.

Darida did not seem to have much on just a few yards in from the touchline, and 35 yards from goal, so he decided to send in a shot which moved in the air on its way past the attempt of Felix Wiedwald to keep it out.

Plattenhardt doubled Hertha's lead five minutes before half-time, with Wiedwald not looking too good again as he flapped at the centrally-placed free-kick.

Midway through the second half, substitute Bartels brought Bremen back onto the game, picking the ball up on the halfway line and taking it to the edge of the area before placing it past Rune Jarstein.

The home fans' joy was stifled within five minutes, however, when Kalou scored his ninth goal of the season from Johannes van den Bergh's cross.

What might have been the straw that would have finished off many opponents instead gave Bremen that extra motivation they needed.

Fabian Lustenberger tripped Anthony Ujah inside the penalty area and Pizarro tucked the penalty into the bottom right-hand corner to give Bremen renewed hope in the 75th minute.

Just two minutes later, Garcia headed the home team level from Zlatko Junuzovic's corner.