Italians crash out
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Pizarro heads the second for Werder.
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Match Stats
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AC Milan
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Werder Bremen
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Shots (on Goal)
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9(5)
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27(15)
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Fouls
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10
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12
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Corner Kicks
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4
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7
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Offsides
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4
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4
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Time of Possession
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48%
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52%
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Yellow Cards
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2
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3
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Red Cards
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0
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0
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Saves
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18
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6
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Match Information
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Stadium:
San Siro, Italy
Attendance: 23,280
Match Time: 19:45 UK
Official(s):
Jonas Eriksson (Referee)
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Updated: February 26, 2009, 8:00 AM UK
AC Milan were dumped out of the UEFA Cup after throwing away a two-goal lead in their last-32 second-leg clash with Werder Bremen.
Having drawn the first leg 1-1 in Germany, there was some pressure on the Italians going into the return match.
First-half goals from Andrea Pirlo and Alexandre Pato seemed to set Milan on a smooth path into the next round only for Claudio Pizarro's brace to put Bremen through on away goals.
Pizarro missed a glorious chance in only the second minute, somehow firing wide from close range, while Alexis Tziolis also fired off target for Bremen early on.
The visitors continued to press with playmaker Diego forcing Dida into a save in the sixth minute while Pato engineered Milan's first chance but saw it cleared by Naldo.
Bremen's industrious midfielder Torsten Frings hit a right-footed effort that Dida repelled in an intriguing opening.
Diego and Hugo Almeida both had unsuccessful attempts around quarter of an hour into the match while Pizarro and Naldo had efforts blocked and saved.
England midfielder David Beckham tried his luck but could not keep the ball down, then in the 24th minute he earned the penalty from which Milan opened the scoring.
Beckham's free-kick was handled by Frings in the box and, when referee Jonas Eriksson pointed to the spot, Pirlo kept his cool to score.
Pato doubled the lead in the 33rd minute by blasting home from around 18 yards to seemingly set Milan on course for a routine win.
Almeida had a header saved by Dida before Mesut Ozil fired wide and Dida saved well again from Pizarro with half-time approaching.
A Bremen flurry early in the second half saw Diego and Pizarro go close.
Several further chances came and went with Bremen substitute Markus Rosenberg having a go.
And the Germans' conviction paid off in the 68th minute when Pizarro headed home Diego's excellent free-kick.
Encouraged by the goal, Thomas Schaaf's men piled forward and were rewarded 10 minutes later when Pizarro's second levelled the scores and handed Bremen a crucial second away goal, the Peruvian heading Sebastian Boenisch's cross past Dida.
Both sides had chances to score an outright winner but the draw was enough to see Bremen through on away goals.
AC Milan 2 - 2 Werder Bremen