UEFA Cup

Werder claim UEFA Cup berth by beating Inter

22:27 BST, Tue 9 Dec 2008
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Werder Bremen's Markus Rosenberg celebrates his goal against Inter Milan during their Champions League soccer match at the Weser stadium in Bremen December 9, 2008.  REUTERS/Christian Charisius (GERMANY)

BREMEN, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Werder Bremen bagged a place in the UEFA Cup knockout stages after Claudio Pizarro and Markus Rosenberg struck to seal a 2-1 win over Inter Milan in Champions League Group B on Tuesday.

Werder deserved their victory and finish third by leapfrogging Anorthosis Famagusta, who lost 1-0 at group winners Panathinaikos.

Inter, who had already qualified, must be content with progressing as group runners-up after another lacklustre European performance.

Inter coach Jose Mourinho, whose team are six points clear in Serie A, said his side merited a tough test in February's last 16 having stuttered so far in the Champions League.

"Now we deserve one of the strongest teams. Manchester United, the European champions, or Barcelona, currently the best in Europe, to really judge our potential in the Champions League," he told Sky.

"I wanted to rest some players but I think the team still underperformed."

Pizarro, who scored in the 1-1 draw at the San Siro in October, netted from close range on 63 minutes after an unusually shaky Julio Cesar could only parry Mesut Ozil's drive.

Strike partner Rosenberg added a similar second nine minutes from time after more poor Inter defending before substitute Zlatan Ibrahimovic blasted in a consolation for Inter from just outside the area.

Inter talisman Ibrahimovic started on the bench with his side already through as the Italian champions and Werder, without the suspended Diego, lacked creativity in the first half.

Wingers Mancini and Ricardo Quaresma again underperformed for the visitors, who lost 1-0 at home to Panathinaikos in their previous group game.

Pizarro had two other good chances for the hosts, already out of contention for Champions League progression before the game.

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