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UEFA Cup Final Preview - Shakhtar Donetsk v Werder Bremen
Wednesday 20th May 2009

Shakhtar Donetsk v Werder Bremen, Istanbul, Turkey

Andy Greeves

Shakhtar Donetsk

Backed by the finances of Rinat Akhmetov, the richest man in Europe according to Korespondent Magazine, Shakhtar Donetsk are experiencing a golden era in their history. ‘Hirnyky' have won three of their last four domestic league titles and in beating bitter rivals Dynamo Kiev in the UEFA Cup semi-final last month, they became the first club from the Ukraine to play in a major European cup final.

Since Akhmetov became the Shakhtar owner in 1996, the club has spent an average of $80m a season to bring players from all over the world to a traditionally unglamorous league. Signings last summer included the 21-year-old Bolivian striker Marcelo Moreno for €9m and $3.3m-rated former Karpaty Lviv captain Mykola Ischenko. The club moves into its new 50,000 all seater stadium this summer, hoping it will be home to the last ever UEFA Cup to be awarded.

Shakhtar travel to Istanbul as UEFA Cup underdogs, but this tag will not concern Head Coach Mirea Lucescu or his multi-national squad of players. The Ukraine league has already caused enough upsets in Europe this season to seriously worry Werder Bremen, with three of its clubs making the UEFA Cup Round of 16. Lucescu's side themselves have knocked out Tottenham Hotspur, CSKA Moscow and Marseille on their way to this Istanbul final, further proof of Shakhtar's credentials.

Shakhtar's 4-5-1 system has been a major reason for the club's success in Europe this season. Tough-tackling midfield pairing Tomas Hubschman and Igor Duljaj have frustrated many an opponent, giving scope for the Brazilian trio of Fernandinho, Ilsinho and Jadson to express their creative talents futher up the field.

The real star men of the team though are at full-back. Romanian Razvan Rat and Croatian Darijo Srna are fine examples of modern wing-backs, blessed with ability to attack and defend with equal success. It's hardly surprising that the likes of Benfica, Lazio, Liverpool and Celtic have been linked with the pair.

Likely Shakhtar Donetsk team v Werder Bremen

(4-5-1) Pyatov, Srna, Rat, Chygrynskiy, Ischenko, Duljaj, Hubschman, Ilsinho, Jadson, Fernandinho, Luiz Adriano

Shakhtar Donetsk's route to Istanbul

(Entered UEFA Cup at knock-out stage after finishing third in group stages of Champions League)
Round of 32 - Shakhtar Donetsk 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur Seleznyov, Jadson
Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Shakhtar Donetsk Fernandinho
Round of 16 - CSKA Moscow 1-0 Shakhtar Donetsk
Shakhtar Donetsk 2-0 CSKA Moscow Fernandinho (pen),Luiz Adriano
Quarter-Final - Shakhtar Donetsk 2-0 Marseille Hubschman, Jadson
Marseille 1-2 Shakhtar Donetsk Fernandinho
Semi-Final - Dynamo Kiev 1-1 Shakhtar Donetsk Fernandinho
Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 Dynamo Kiev Jadson, Ilsinho

Werder Bremen

Languishing in Bundesliga mid-table obscurity, Werder Bremen have put the UEFA Cup top of their priority list since the turn of the year.

Coach Thomas Schaaf has been accused of fielded weakened sides in the league ahead of European matches by various managers in Germany. He rested star players Diego and Mesut Ozil before their semi-final second leg against Hamburg, though Schaaf insists they had ‘minor injuries'.

Whether a deliberate policy or not, having players fresh for European games has proven successful for Werder are one game away from winning their first major European trophy since the Cup Winners Cup in 1992.

Unlike Shakhtar Donetsk, Werder Bremen's recent period of success has been built on prudence rather than big spending. Much of their transfer budget has been generated by buying players for modest sums and selling them for considerable profit. Notable examples include striker Miroslav Klose, signed for €5 million from Kaiserslautern in 2004, sold to Bayern Munich in 2007 for €12.5 million.

Since winning the Bundesliga in 2004, Werder have featured regularly in the Champions League, but have failed to progress any further than the round of 16 in their last five attempts. Despite their Champions League failings, Bremen start as favourites for the UEFA Cup Final. They have beaten the likes of AC Milan, Saint-Etienne, Udinese and Hamburg to get through to this showpiece occasion.

In playmaker Diego, the German side possessed a player capable of lighting up the occasion, but is suspended for the final. The Brazilian scored six times in the competition this season and has also provided ammunition for front men Claudio Pizarro and Hugo Almeida to fire Werder to Istanbul. Diego held the key to Bremen's attack minded plans and he will be badly missed. Germany international Torsten Frings will have the role nullifying the threat possed by Donetsk's Ilsinho, Jadson and Fernandinho.

Having conceded 12 goals in 8 games on the route to the final, Bremen are far from watertight defensively. Their vulnerabilities at the back and, at times, breathtaking forward play make the German side an ideal finalist for the thousands of neutral fans watching in the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium on May 20th.

Likely Werder Bremen team v Shakhtar Donetsk

(4-3-1-2) Weise, Fritz, Mertesacker, Naldo, Tosic, Frings, Tziolis, Baumann, Niemeyer, Rosenberg, Pizarro

Werder Bremen route to Istanbul

(Entered UEFA Cup at knock-out stage after finishing third in group stages of Champions League)
Round of 32 - Werder Bremen 1-1 Milan Diego
Milan 2-2 Werder Bremen Pizarro (2)
Round of 16 - Werder Bremen 1-0 Saint-Etienne Naldo
Saint-Etienne 2-2 Werder Bremen Prodi, Pizarro
Quarter-Final - Werder Bremen 3-1 Udinese Diego (2), Almeida
Udinese 3-3 Werder Bremen Diego (2), Pizarro
Semi-Final - Werder Bremen 0-1 Hamburg Piotr Trochowski
Hamburg 2-3 Werder Bremen Diego, Pizarro, Baumann

UEFA Cup Final 2009

Andy Greeves

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