Bremen main obstacle in Hamburg's treble bid

HAMBURG, Germany: Werder Bremen are Hamburg's main obstacle in their quest for a rare treble of titles as the German sides prepare to meet each other in the first of four key clashes starting on Wednesday.

Werder Bremen travel to Hamburg's HSH Nordbank Arena for a place in the German Cup final on May 30 at Berlin's Olympic Stadium, while 24 hours earlier on Tuesday, Bayer Leverkusen face minnows Mainz in the other semifinal.

But the Bundesliga rivals have also drawn each other in the UEFA Cup semifinals and will meet each other over two legs - first at Bremen's Weserstadion on Thursday April 30, then in Hamburg on May 7.