Hamburg  - Goalkeeper Tim Wiese was Werder Bremen's cup hero as he saved three SV Hamburg penalties in a shoot-out that saw Bremen qualify Wednesday for the German Cup final 3-1 on penalties after the game had ended 1-1 after extra-time.

The will face Bayer Leverkusen in the final in Berlin on May 30.

Germany defender Per Mertesacker gave the visitors an early lead, but Ivica Olic equalized in the second half for Hamburg, who ended the game with ten men after captain David Jarolim was sent off in second half injury time.

London - Manchester United returned to the top of the English Premier League table on Wednesday thanks to a 2-0 win over Portsmouth.

Goals from Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick secured victory for the champions at Old Trafford and took them back above Liverpool at the top.

With six games to go to Liverpool's five, United are three points clear at the top.

United were ahead within nine minutes at Old Trafford when Ryan Giggs was sent clear down the left and he squared the ball to give Rooney the simplest of finishes.

Madrid  - A 2-1 win away to Betis on Wednesday consolidates solid Valencia in fourth place in the Spanish Liga.

Valencia scored their fifth straight win thanks to two more goals from Euro 2008 top scorer David Villa, who now has 25 - just one less than league top hitman Samuel Eto'o of leaders Barcelona.

Villa struck first in the 66th minute of a dull game, flicking in a tempting near-post centre from fellow Spain striker Juan Mata.

14 minutes later Villa made it 2-0 after a clever combination between Joaquin and Edu.

Tehran  - The Iranian Football Federation (FFI) on Wednesday appointed Iranian-American Afshin Qotbi as new head coach for the country's national football team, ISNA news agency reported.

FFI vice-president Mehdi Taj told ISNA that Qotbi lead Iran's national football team in the remaining three World Cup qualification games against North and South Korea and the United Arab Emirates.

Qotbi has already signed the contract and will come to Tehran on Thursday, Taj said.

The FFI deputy added that Qotbi will have one Dutch and one Iranian assistant.

Hamburg  - Bayer Leverkusen's progress into the German cup final on Tuesday night has extended the list of absentees for a national team stint to Asia in late May and early June.

Germany coach Joachim Loew will be without Leverkusen goalkeeper Rene Adler, midfielder Simon Rolfes and forwards Patrick Helmes and Stefan Kiessling for the games on May 29 in Shanghai against China and on June 2 against the United Arab Emirates in Dubai.

The German cup final is set for June 30 in Berlin.

Dusseldorf  - Bayer Leverkusen needed extra-time before eventually running out 4-1 winners against second division Mainz 05 in the semi-final of the German Cup.

The victory books Leverkusen's third final place where the club will face SV Hamburg or Werder Bremen, who meet in the other semi- final Wednesday.