Werder Back on Top

Substitutes Daniel Jensen and Markus Rosenberg came on at half-time to turn the game around within 10 minutes of the break for Bremen who had gone behind to a Sergio Pinto goal after 90 seconds.

A superb third goal came in the final seconds when Brazilian midfielder Diego belted the ball out of his own half into an empty net after goalkeeper Kristian Nicht had come upfield for a free-kick.

The win takes Thomas Schaaf's side onto 60 points with four matches remaining, one point ahead of Schalke 04 who will go back to the top if they beat Energie Cottbus at home on Saturday.

"Aachen played well and were always looking to get forward but we had a series of chances and I have to praise my team for the way they kept going over 90 minutes," said Schaaf.

Bremen clinched the points thanks to inspired half-time substitutions by Schaaf and lead the table for the first time since late January.

Aachen's fourth successive defeat

Danish midfielder Jensen, on for Frank Baumann, raced through the middle to take a pass by Miroslav Klose at the end of a fine Bremen move to score the home side's first in the 50th minute. Five minutes later Jensen hit a raking long pass and Swedish striker Marcus Rosenberg, on for Jurica Vranjes, bustled off a challenge to strike the ball past Nicht in goal.

Further chances went begging with Diego screwing a shot wide and Klose striking the post, and Bremen almost paid the price when Jan Schlaudraff found himself with a chance, only for Wiese to block.

Aachen threw everything into grabbing a late equalizer but left their own goal completely empty for a last-gasp free-kick, and the ball was cleared to Diego. The midfielder, well inside his own half, took one look up and hit the ball down the pitch -- a distance measured at 62 meters -- for it to bounce over the line under the bar for Bremen's third.

It was a fourth successive defeat for Aachen who remain deep in relegation danger just outside the immediate drop zone.

"We started well enough and created counter attacking opportunities but never really finished the moves off," said Aachen coach Michael Frontzeck. "Bremen then put us under a lot of pressure and in the end the goals had to come and they deserved their victory."

Good start not good enough

The evening had begun well for the visitors who caught Bremen cold in the second minute when Pinto forced the ball over the line with the help of goalkeeper Tim Wiese. The move had started with Aachen's Pinto and Marius Ebbers escaping the offside trap. Ebbers raced down the right and his cross was met by Pinto who kneed the ball towards goal at close range.

The ball was blocked by Wiese but came straight back as Bremen midfielder Torsten Frings also tried to clear, but the prostrate Pinto got his foot to the ball and Wiese could only parry the midfielder's second effort behind him and over the line.

In the main program Saturday, the top game sees third-placed VfB Stuttgart take on defending champions Bayern Munich. Stuttgart, who on Wednesday reached the German Cup final, are on 55 points, two points ahead of fourth-placed Bayern.

Among other games, Bayer Leverkusen play Nuremberg -- Stuttgart's cup final opponents -- in a match between two teams fighting for UEFA Cup places next season.

The remaining fixtures involve teams fighting to avoid relegation.