Northern Dress Rehearsal

The two northern clubs Hamburg and Bremen had to play in the Bundesliga one more time before they'll face each other on Thursday for the second leg of the UEFA-Cup semi-final.

Hamburg had to take on Berlin which is a direct competitor for the Bundesliga championship. But with a 1-1 draw the chances have shrunk for both teams although the upcoming opponents could be easier to play against than those for Wolfsburg, Bayern and Stuttgart.