Pizarro hits hat-trick as Bremen prevail

Claudio Pizarro was in sparkling form for Werder Bremen on Sunday, scoring three goals to help his side beat Hannover 96 4-1, while Bayer 04 Leverkusen moved up to seventh with a 2-0 victory at 1. FC Köln.

Missed penalty
On loan from Chelsea FC, Pizarro first beat Robert Enke with a deflected effort from distance four minutes before half-time, however with 69 minutes gone the visitors restored parity through substitute Jacek Krzynówek. That came after Enke had saved a penalty from Diego, but the Brazilian playmaker compensated for that missed opportunity with a goal from close range on 77 minutes, before Pizarro made sure of the outcome with a pair of strikes in the final ten minutes to take his Bundesliga tally this season to 15. His team remain tenth, with Hannover three places further back.

Basement battle
Leverkusen were the only side to make any progress up the standings courtesy of goals in the last 24 minutes from Stefan Kiessling and Patrick Helmes, the latter converting from the penalty spot. There was no change in the lower reaches, meanwhile, as bottom club Karlsruher SC played out a goalless draw with the side two places higher, VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach, who lie one point from safety.