Watch Werder Bremen v Shakhtar Donetsk live here, or follow our live commentary below.
Shakhtar Donetsk (Luiz Adriano 25′, Jadson 97′) 2-1 (a.e.t.) Werder Bremen (Naldo 35′)
Stadium: Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey
Competition: UEFA Cup Final
Date: 20 May 2009
Kickoff: 18:45 GMT, 14:45 EST
Shakhtar Donetsk defeated Werder Bremen in extra time to win the UEFA Cup! Soccerlens brought you the action live! Click below for the live-blog and feel free to leave comments below!
Match Preview:
It’s the final year of the UEFA Cup, and the two squads that will compete for the prestigious and tradition-laden trophy have never lifted it before. Shakhtar Donetsk and Werder Bremen both want to win this trophy and would love nothing better than to close out this competition in style.
Werder Bremen have the bigger names and, according to the oddsmakers, are slight favorites. They have German internationals like Torsten Frings, Per Mertesacker, and Clemens Fritz. They have a dynamic play-making midfielder in Diego. They have former Chelsea hitman Claudio Pizarro and Portuguese international Hugo Almeida scoring the goals up front. However, Werder have been wildly inconsistent this season. They’re languishing in tenth place in the Bundesliga, where they’ve won 12 matches and lost 12 (pending next weekend’s final league match against leaders Wolfsburg). Despite their mediocre league form, they could win a Cup Double as they’re also in the finals of the DFB Pokal. Football really is a funny sport sometimes.
In the semifinals, Werder prevailed over their domestic rivals, Hamburg SV, with the help of one of the most fortuitous occurrences in recent football history. After losing the first leg by a score of 1-0 at home, Werder were leading the second leg by a score of 2-1 when a Hamburg backpass took a bad bounce off a plastic cup and went out for a corner. Frank Baumann then converted the gift corner for the crucial third away goal which propelled Werder to the Final. They’ll hope that they didn’t use up all their luck in the Semis, especially since they won’t have the aforementioned Diego. The Juventus-bound midfielder who compared himself to Zinedine Zidane is suspended for the match. Almeida is also out due to yellow card accumulation, while Claudio Pizarro and Markus Rosenberg missed Saturday’s 3-1 loss to last-place Karlsruhe with injuries. Mertesacker is likely gone for the rest of the season after having ankle surgery following the Semifinal victory over Hamburg.
As for Shakhtar, they might not have the big names, but they’ve excelled by playing excellent defense while getting timely scoring up front from their Brazilian contingent. They may not be as celebrated as some of their countrymen, but Fernandinho, Jadson, Ilsinho, and Luiz Adriano have been getting the job done as Shakhtar have knocked off several of Europe’s best and most famous clubs en route to the Finals. Tottenham Hotspur, CSKA Moscow, Olympique Marseille, and domestic rivals Dynamo Kyiv have all fallen victim to Shakhtar’s brand of efficient football. Since entering the UEFA Cup from the Champions League, Shakhtar have only conceded four goals and have scored twelve.
Shakhtar will also come into this match in better domestic form as they’ve won their last six league matches in a row. They won’t have as many injury or suspension issues as Werder, as only midfielder Tomas Huebschman is suspended. If they defend they way that they’ve been doing, then it’s extremely likely that they’ll become the first Ukrainian team to hoist the UEFA Cup, and the final team ever to do so.
Who will go down in history as the final UEFA Cup Champions? Tune in and find out!
Also See: Werder Bremen v Shakhtar Donetsk Live Blog – Footbo.com.
Lineups:
Shakhtar Donetsk: Pyatov, Rat, Chygrynskiy, Kucher, Srna (c), Fernandinho, Lewandowski, Willian, Ilsinho, Jadson, Luiz Adriano.
Subs: Khudzhamov, Duljaj, Gai, Gladkiy, Ischenko, Moreno, Chyzhov.
Shakhtar will go with the same lineup that they used in the second-leg against Dynamo Kyiv, with a few exceptions. Hubschman, who is suspended, will be replaced in the lineup by Kucher. Lewandowski will start in place of Gai, and Willian will replace Ischenko, giving the team five Brazilians in the starting lineup. Gladkiy, who had a brace in Shakhtar’s win over Barcelona in the Champions League this season, will be available off the bench.
Werder Bremen: Wiese, Boenisch, Naldo, Prodl, Fritz, Baumann (c), Frings, Ozil, Niemeyer, Rosenberg, Pizarro.
Subs: Vander, Pasanen, Tosic, Vranjes, Hunt, Tziolis, Harnik.
Baumann, Pizarro, and Rosenberg will start as all three have been pronounced fit to play. Niemeyer will come in for the suspended Diego and Prodl will replace the injured Mertesacker.
Minute-by-Minute:
120′ + 2 Hunt goes down deep down the left wing. He wants a foul but the ref won’t oblige. Boenisch is upset about that he draws a yellow for dissent. There’s the whistle and Shakhtar Donetsk have won the UEFA Cup! Congratulations to Shakhtar for a remarkable achievement! Thanks to everyone who followed along! Join me this weekend for the Premier League “Final Day Live Blog!” See you then!
120′ + 1 There will be two minutes of added time.
120′ Hunt heads it down and it trickles toward Pizarro in front of goal. He’s under tremendous pressure from Chygrynskiy and he pokes it past Pyatov! However, the goal is waved off as Pizarro is called for a foul! Pizarro can’t believe it and that could have been Werder’s last chance.
119′ Hunt gets a weak header on goal, but it trickles slowly towards Pyatov. He grabs it and throws it away from danger.
117′ Pizarro gets it from Hunt and he has a chance inside the box. However Pizarro gets called for a foul and Shakhtar will kick it away.
115′ Hard foul from Tziolis as he nearly exterminates Rat (sorry). He gets booked and Shakhtar will waste more time.
114′ Werder win a corner and Hunt heads it over the crossbar.
113′ Pizarro heads it forward into the box for Hunt, and he goes down from the Srna challenge! No penalty, though, and it would have been a soft one had it been given.
112′ Jadson trots off slowly and he’ll be replaced by Duljaj. Jadson was almost Berbatovian with the way he took his time there.
111′ Ozil makes a good run along the edge of the box and he lays it off to an unmarked Tziolis. He fires a shot from the edge of the box and he pulls his shot just wide!
110′ Poor pass from Frings as he misses a wide-open Pasanen. Frings has been a bit of a disappointment today.
109′ Jadson is on the ground and looks to be wasting time. He goes off on the stretcher, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him trot back onto the field within a few seconds.
108′ Dangerous backpass by Jadson, but Pyatov manages to get it away before Pizarro can pounce on it.
106′ Shakhtar kick off and we’re underway! Hunt sends a great cross from deep down the right and Ozil fires a tame effort that is blocked by Kucher. Ozil has been very disappointing today. Maybe the German-born Turk had one too many butterflies in his stomach.
105′ Shakhtar have a chance to ice this match as Lewandowski hits his pass long but it manages to trickle to Willian, who gets behind the Werder defense. He has a chance to put this one away, but he fires his shot over the cross-bar. There’s the whistle and the teams will switch sides. Werder have 15 minutes to get back into this match.
104′ Jadson sends it to Fernandinho, and he whips a cross from the right wing to the far post for Gladkiy, but it’s well off the mark.
103′ Clock is back and Tziolis will come on for Niemeyer. That’s Werder’s final substitution.
101′ No clock from Fox Soccer, so all times are approximations until further notice. One thing I can’t complain about is that Fox Soccer keeps showing this really hot Shakhtar fan in the crowd. They joke that she’s gotten more air-time tonight than Pyatov.
100′ Nothing doing on the corner and Shakhtar will make a switch as Ilsinho comes off for Gai.
99′ Werder almost come back as confusion in front of the Shakhtar goal gives Pizarro a chance near the right post. He sends in a roundhouse of a shot and Pyatov makes a great save to deny him! Suddenly, these teams have sprung to life!
97′ GOAL! Srna with a great cross from deep down the right wing that finds Jadson in the center of the box. He fires a shot that Wiese manages to get a hand on, but it’s not enough as the ball trickles over the line! Wiese’s had such a great game, that it’s a shame that he let one like that go through him. His defense didn’t do him any favors tonight.
95′ An exhausted Fritz will come off for Pasanen. Fritz was magnificent today and could very well be the Man of the Match.
94′ Prodl sends a brilliant long-pass that finds Ozil. He gets between the two center-halves, but he can’t control his shot. Srna gets it away and Ozil wants a handball, but the replay shows that Srna chested it away.
93′ Willian threads it through to Gladkiy, but it’s just out of his reach. Wiese pounces on it and covers it up but Gladkiy doesn’t stop his run and ends up drawing some contact with the keeper. Wiese glares at Gladkiy, but it’s nothing doing.
92′ Jadson’s corner is easily headed away by Lewandowski. Srna with a curling shot from the right edge of the box and Wiese makes a great save to punch it away.
91′ Werder kick off and we’re underway. Gladkiy makes a move inside the box and tries to get his shot on target. It’s deflected out for a corner.
91′ That Pyatov error looms very large as we head into extra time. Shakhtar have outplayed Werder Bremen and really should be holding the trophy right now.
90′ + 3 There’s the whistle and we’re going to extra time!
90′ + 2 Nothing doing on the corner, but Gladkiy is down on the pitch and is holding his face. That was a rude welcome to the game.
90′ + 1 Three minutes will be added on. Pizarro finds the back of the net, but it’s waved off as Hunt was flagged off-side. Poor cross from Srna, but Fritz needlessly gives away the corner. Wiese should have called him off since there was no one around him.
90′ Luiz Adriano is off and Gladkiy is on for Shakhtar.
89′ Ozil gets tied up with Chygrynskiy and it looks like Ozil gets held up a little. He stops his run and wants a foul, but he gets no help from the ref. That’s why you keep playing until you hear a whistle.
88′ Frings sends in a free kick, but his target man slips and falls. Naldo sends in a tame effort from long-range and Pyatov handles it easily.
87′ Ilsinho grabs Boenisch’s shirt and he gets booked. Ilsinho (who looks a little like Kaka) looks like he’s running on fumes out there.
86′ This match looks to be going to extra time. I’m surprised Shakhtar haven’t made any changes. Maybe they’re waiting for the next frame?
83′ Fritz gives away a free kick deep down the left. Shakhtar take it quickly and they try to send it into the box for Ilsinho. Werder’s defense knock it away and Fernandinho eventually gets it. He looks to set up Ilsinho, but he hesitates and sends his pass long.
82′ Willian makes a great play to keep it from going out for a throw and he looks like he could be off to the races. Fritz comes in and knocks him down and is booked for his troubles.
81′ Diego is in the audience and he’s on his cell phone. He must be talking to his real estate agent. I hear housing is expensive in Turin.
80′ Srna tries to play a one-two with Jadson, but Srna gets blocked off from the return pass. Jadson runs out of real estate and it’s a goal-kick for Wiese. By the way, Srna is also a potential Liverpool target. Is there anyone out there that they aren’t interested in?
78′ Rosenberg will come off for Werder Bremen and he’ll be replaced by Hunt. Great chance for Werder as Ozil sends in a great free kick from about 40 yards out and Pizarro gets a free header on it. Pyatov makes a great save but Hunt gets a chance on the rebound. He shows that he doesn’t quite have his legs underneath him yet as he hits the side-netting.
77′ Shakhtar almost get caught on the counterattack and Lewandowski takes one for the team when he drags down a hard-charging Fritz. That’s a yellow for Lewandowski.
76′ Long corner to the left edge of the box where Jadson takes it on a half-volley. He doesn’t get much on it, though, and Wiese takes it easily.
75′ Rat wins a corner off Fritz and Shakhtar actually send this one into the box. Luiz Adriano almost gets his head on it, but Shakhtar wins another one.
74′ Jadson tries to chip a pass into the box for Luiz Adriano, but the forward is flagged off-side. Pizarro comes back and sends a great pass into the box for Ozil. It’s just out of his reach, though, and Pyatov is able to get there first. That one could have been trouble for Shakhtar.
72′ Srna sends it down the right to Ilsinho and Boenisch shoves him blatantly to the ground. No call, though, and you wonder what he has to do to draw a foul.
70′ Pizarro gets it inside the box, but he can’t get his shot off. He has to lay it behind to Boenisch, and his shot is well off the mark.
69′ Chygrynskiy gives away a free kick and Werder will take it from about 45 yards away. Naldo sends it into the six-yard box, but Pyatov punches it away.
68′ Srna with a rare misstep as he sends his free-kick long and way out-of-reach for his teammates.
67′ Willian works on Fritz, but the German does well against him and forces a weak cross from Willian that’s easily sent away from danger.
66′ Shakhtar win a corner and they take it short. They’ve taken them all short today. Probably a good idea, since Werder, on the whole, have a pretty significant height advantage over them.
65′ Luiz Adriano makes a great turn inside the box and nearly has a goal for his troubles. Fritz makes a great block, and the German right-back has been outstanding today.
64′ Frings sends in the corner and Ozil holds it up for Naldo. He tries a shot from the right edge of the box, but he misses at the near post.
63′ Frings is fouled by Ilsinho and they take it quickly. Kucher then concedes the corner kick.
59′ Ozil sends in the corner and we hear a whistle, but it’s not from one of the refs. Shakhtar don’t take any chances and Pyatov grabs it and sends it away. Werder come back and Ozil gets past Rat and whips a great cross into the box for Rosenberg. He turns and tries to fire it on goal, but Chygrynskiy gets a great block on it. Frings slides in and tries to keep possession, but he’s called for a foul.
58′ Srna is booked for dissent after he goes down after contact with Ozil. Srna wanted a foul, but didn’t get it and took exception to the lack of a call. Frings comes back and he takes a shot on goal that’s deflected out for a corner.
57′ Ilsinho does some hard work down the right against Boenisch. He sends it back to Srna and he fires a shot that’s wide of the far post.
55′ Frings win a free kick from Fernandinho and Werder will have a good chance from less than 30 yards out. Frings takes it this time, and he sends his shot wide of the post. I’m surprised Naldo didn’t take that one.
54′ Luiz Adriano fends off Prodl and keeps the ball from going out past the end-line. He sends it out to Rat, who centers it to Fernandinho. He tries a shot from the edge of the box, but it’s wide of the post.
53′ Pizarro goes to ground easily against Lewandowski. He must have picked that up from his time at Chelsea playing with Drogba.
51′ Luiz Adriano draws a foul from Baumann and Shakhtar will get another free kick, this one a little further out but closer to the center. They’re less than 30 yards out and Jadson curls it over the wall and forces an excellent diving save from Wiese!
50′ Srna takes it and he goes for goal. Wiese punches it away easily, though and Willian eventually gets it. He tries to thread a cross from the right edge of the box to the far post, but it’s long.
49′ Srna gets it on the right wing and he turns Ozil inside out. Ozil clips him on the edge of the box and Shakhtar will have a great chance along the right edge of the box.
47′ Srna sends a long pass along the right flank for Ilsinho, but Boenisch has him marked tightly and he gets it away. Meanwhile, Willian makes a great move into the box and looks like he’s in business. However, Rat is called for throwing a great NFL-caliber block on Fritz. That was a hell of a block. It would have been legal in hockey, too.
46′ Shakhtar kick off and we’re underway!
It’s an exciting match so far and there’s not a lot that separates these two teams as they march into the tunnel. Both teams have had spells of dominance and chances to score. Shakhtar haven’t had as much possession, but they have been the more creative team while on the attack. Werder, on the other hand, have had more periods of sustained pressure and would like their chances should that trend continue in the second half. We’ll see what changes the gaffers have in store for the second half.
45′ + 2 Great play from Shakhtar as Willian gets inside the box and receives a through-pass from Srna. He threads a cross to the far post to Luiz Adriano, but Fritz knocks it away for a corner. They play it short and Willian comes back with another great cross to the far post for Luiz Adriano. This time, Baumann is there to get it away from danger. There’s the whistle and we’re at halftime!
45′ + 1 Frings gets the first booking of the match as he lunges at Lewandowski with his spikes showing. Lewandowski jumped out of the way and there was no contact, but the ref didn’t like Frings’ intent and showed him the card.
43′ Luiz Adriano goes down from the hard challenge from Prodl, and it’s adjudged to be a fair tackle. That surprises everyone and Werder nearly catch Shakhtar’s defense off guard. Frings plays a long ball to Rosenberg and Pyatov has to run a long way to kick it away before the Swedish striker can get there.
42′ Great one-two between Ilsinho and Srna and Ilsinho gets in deep down the right side of the box. He tries to whip a cross to the far post, but it’s out of Luiz Adriano’s reach.
41′ Jadson tees it up for Lewandowski and he fires a low shot that forces a great save from Wiese. It’s a corner for Shakhtar and they take it short. Willian’s cross is long and Wiese takes it.
40′ Fritz sends in a great cross from the right and he draws Pyatov off his line. He whiffs on the ball and Pizarro has a chance at the far post. Luckily for Shakhtar, Pizarro nods it wide. Pyatov is suddenly looking shakier than Gomes did earlier in the year for Spurs.
39′ Werder win a corner and Frings sends it in. Srna jumps in front of it and knocks it away from danger. Jadson hits Baumann with an elbow, but he’s not going to get booked for it.
38′ Bad timing for Shakhtar as Pyatov had been their unsung hero for much of the year. Terrible gaffe from him and that could be the opening Werder need to win this match.
35′ GOAL! Naldo lines it up and he looks to take it from about 35 yards out. They’re roughly in the middle of the field, so it’s well within his range. Frings it over it as well. Naldo takes it and it’s a great effort that confuses Pyatov. He tries to grab it but can’t handle it! He spills it over the line and it’s a goal! Terrible mistake from Pyatov, even though it was a great strike from Naldo. He would have been better off punching that one away.
34′ Great chance for Bremen as Rosenberg draws the hard foul from Fernandinho.
33′ Luiz Adriano challenges Niemeyer for the ball in the air and Luiz Adriano lands awkwardly. He immediately motions to the bench and he looks shaken up.
32′ Nice run by Boenisch and he whips a cross towards the far post, but Pizarro can’t quite reach it.
31′ Willian gets it down the left edge of the box and Ilsinho is open at the far post once again. Willian takes the shot and he fires a tame effort that Wiese easily handles. Why aren’t they passing to Ilsinho? Who did he piss off?
29′ The ref warns Werder’s bench, as it looks like someone said a naughty word just now.
28′ Luiz Adriano with another chance as Willian finds him along the left edge of the box. Luiz Adriano gets a good look at the goal, and he has Ilsinho open at the far post, but he takes it himself and fires his effort well over the cross-bar.
25′ GOAL! Great play from Shakhtar as Rat passes it towards Willian, who lets it go past him and through to Luiz Adriano. He catches the Werder Bermen defense sleeping and he chips it over a sliding Wiese for the score!
23′ Fritz with a brilliant pass into the box for Pizarro and he gets away from Chygrynskiy. He turns and looks to fire one past Pyatov, but he’s called for a push against Chygrynskiy.
22′ Srna collides with Baumann and both skippers are down. Ilsinho has numbers inside the box, but his cross is very poor and goes out for a Bremen goal-kick.
20′ Rosenberg with a nice move to thread it through to Ozil, who is in the box. He shuffles a bit inside the box, beats Srna and Chygrynskiy, and goes down trying to draw the penalty from Kucher. No dice, though, and Shakhtar escape.
19′ Long cross from Ozil down the left and it’s knocked away by Rat. Fritz then launches a shot from long-range, but it’s well off-target.
16′ The match has slowed down a bit and Bremen are starting to stamp their authority on this match. Frings makes a run into the box, but Rat takes it away. He sends a dangerous pass behind him to Chygrynskiy, who then gives it back to Rat for him to kick it away.
13′ Late tackle from Willian on Fritz draws the ref out for a warning.
12′ Willian and Ilsinho combine on a great one-two inside the box, and Werder’s Brazilian, Naldo, knocks it away for a corner. Poor effort from Shakhtar as they shank the corner wide. Meanwhile, Naldo is limping and he might not be long for this game.
11′ Frings lofts another long pass into the box, but its long and Pyatov comes out to collect it. By the way, these Eastern European names are driving me crazy.
10′ Frings with a nice cross from the right wing into the center of the box for Pizarro, he heads it up into the air, but Rosenberg can’t follow up on it.
9′ Naldo then gives away a corner and Shakhtar take it short. Jadson gives it away, though, and Werder will take it.
8′ Dangerous cross from Srna down the right and it trickles slowly towards Luiz Adriano. Fritz is able to knock it away for a throw.
7′ Frings lofts a long pass along the left for Ozil, but Srna knocks it away for a throw. Great long-throw into the box and Pizarro heads it to an unmarked Baumann, who pulls his effort just wide of the post!
6′ It’s all Shakhtar so far as Jadson eludes Baumann and threads a beautiful pass through to an on-side Luiz Adriano. He gets behind the defenders and is alone with the keeper. However, his finish is poor and he hits the side netting. He should have done better there and he knows it.
5′ Fernandinho tries to thread it through to Luiz Adriano, but Naldo knocks it away.
4′ Ilsinho gets it deep and he evades Boenisch. He makes a nice move along the right edge of the box and lays it off to Jadson. He gets tripped up on the edge of the box, but no call from the ref. Werder are able to clear it away from danger.
3′ Long pass to Ilsinho down the right, but Boenisch is there to close him down and wins the throw. Fritz makes a run down the right and he tries valiantly to keep the ball from going out. Alas, his efforts are in vain and Shakhtar have a throw.
2′ Luiz Adriano is fouled by Frings and Shakhtar will have a free kick from near the center-line.
1′ Werder kick off and we’re underway! Luis Medina Cantalejo is our ref. He officiated the Liverpool/Chelsea 4-4 draw a few weeks ago. He’s also well known as the ref that gave Fabio Grosso a penalty against Australia in the 2006 World Cup
0′ The teams walk out of the tunnel and none of them so much as as look at the UEFA Cup. Talk about superstitious.
0′ This stadium has special meaning for Liverpool fans. This is the place where Liverpool came back from that 3-0 deficit against A.C. Milan. Will that come into play today?
0′ Last year, Zenit St. Petersburg’s Andrei Arshavin catapulted himself into the spotlight with a Man of the Match turn in the UEFA Cup Finals. Who will be this year’s star? Maybe Chygrynskiy, who’s been linked to Liverpool?
0′ Should be an interesting match between two clubs hoping to lift the UEFA Cup for the first (and last) time. Shakhtar have defended as well as anyone, especially since entering the UEFA Cup from the Champions League. Werder have been erratic, but when they’re on, they can play with anyone in the world.
0′ Welcome to Soccerlens’ live coverage of the UEFA Cup Final between Shakhtar Donetsk and Werder Bremen! I’m Victor and I’ll be your liveblogger today! I’m watching this match on Fox Soccer Channel, but you can watch it, on-line, at ITV. For information about how to watch on-line, feel free to consult this article. Click here for other, free, options.
Match Review:
Shakhtar outplayed Werder Bremen and deserved to become the first Ukrainian team to win the UEFA Cup. Werder Bremen had chances to steal this one, but Shakhtar lived up to their pre-match billing as they combined an excellent defense with a creative offense to dominate this match. Srna played extremely well for his team and has definitely boosted his stock as the transfer window opens up. Chygrynskiy, Willian, Jadson, and Luiz Adriano also acquitted themselves well. If they can hold on to their core players, then they could be a dangerous squad in the Champions League next year.
As for Werder Bremen, they might moan about some calls that didn’t go their way, but they really don’t have much of a case. Fritz was excellent, as was Wiese, but Frings, Baumann, Ozil, and Pizarro didn’t do too much. They could have some issues going into the offseason, as Diego is all but gone and several others, like Fritz could move on (especially if Bayern Munich follow through on their threat to go on a spending spree). They’ll have to rebound from this disappointment and win the DFB Pokal, otherwise they’ll miss out on Europe next season completely.
Man of the Match:
Darijo Srna
The Shakhtar skipper was magnificent for his club. He did it all, ranging from playing great defense, attacking the goal, setting up Jadson for the winner, and inspiring his squad. As for Werder, Fritz was outstanding, as was Wiese. However, it wasn’t enough as Shakhtar played Werder off the pitch.
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