ROUNDUP: Bremen and Marseille through to UEFA Cup quarter-finals

ROUNDUP: Bremen and Marseille through to UEFA Cup quarter-finalsHamburg - German Bundesliga club Werder Bremen and Olympique Marseille on Wednesday became the first clubs through to the quarter- finals of the UEFA Cup after both drawing their away games 2-2.

Werder Bremen held French side St Etienne 2-2 in their second leg match of the last 16 to advance 3-2 on aggregate.

There was better news for French football though as Marseille came from behind to snatch a dramatic extra time 2-2 draw at Ajax Amsterdam for a 4-3 aggregate victory.

Cameroonian Eyong Enoh opened the scoring for Ajax in the 33rd minute, but their lead lasted just two minutes as Mamadou Niang leveled matters.

Serbian striker Miralem Sulejmani gave Ajax the lead again in the second half and the game then had to go into extra time as no further goals were scored.

Ten minutes from the end of extra time English defender Tyrone Mears grabbed the all-important equalizer for the visitors to see his side through.

Ajax defender Bruno Silva was red carded in the last minute of the game.

In France, St Etienne, who last season finished fifth in the French first division, but this season have slipped down into the relegation zone, rested several key players including Paul Machado.

Coach Alain Perrin explained before the game that the club's priority had to be the fight against relegation.

The home side's chances of progressing were made even more difficult after just six minutes when Sebastian Proedl opened the scoring for Werder Bremen from their first corner, heading past goalkeeper Jeremie Janot.

Peruvian international striker Claudio Pizarro, who is facing allegations of having financially benefited from transfers in contradiction to FIFA rules, doubled his side's lead in the 28th minute with a diving header from a pin-point Mesut Ozil cross.

After the French side had gone down by two goals a large part of their fan block turned around and danced with the backs to the match in protest at Perrin's decision to bench his best players.

Bremen continued to dominate in the second half, but it was St Etienne who scored the goal when Yohan Benalouane headed home after a cross from Cedric Varrault in the 64th minute.

Sebastien Grax found an unexpected equalizer for the home side two minutes into injury time after a fine solo effort saw him go past three Bremen players.

"We probably sat back a little back in the second half thinking about our next Bundesliga game against Dortmund on the weekend. I am not saying that we did that on purpose, but it just happened," said Germany midfielder Torsten Frings.

Goalscorer Pizarro added that he felt the side had deserved to advance. "We played very well in the first half and scored two good goals. I think this was a good night and hopefully we will now just get better." (dpa)

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