UEFA Cup Final Preview: Shakhtar Donetsk – Werder Bremen

Istanbul hosts the last ever UEFA Cup final with, Shakhtar and Werder both gunning for European glory...



Making History

Mircea Lucescu brings Shakhtar Donetsk to Istanbul aiming to help his club become the first ever Ukrainian side to win the UEFA Cup.

Certainly Donetsk are in uncharted territory; they have never before gone past the last 16 of the tournament and Wednesday’s game will be their first major European final.

However, having already beaten the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, CSKA Moscow, Marseille and Dynamo Kiev, Lucescu’s side will head to the final with plenty of confidence.

Donetsk will also be boosted by the fact that they are currently on an excellent run of form.

Although they have missed out on the domestic league title, they have won their last six league games and will hope to make amends by ending the season with the UEFA Cup.

Despite their inexperience at this stage of the competition the eastern Europeans certainly possess plenty of attacking flair and more than enough quality in their squad to worry the Germans.

Shakhtar are a team filled with samba style in the shape of Brazilians Ilsinho, Fernandinho, Luiz Adriano, Jadson and Willian; and with a solid defence behind them they will prove a stern test for the boys from the Bundesliga.

Doubling Up

Werder Bremen, meanwhile, will be confident of becoming the first German side in eight years to claim a European title (since Bayern Munich lifted the Champions League in 2001).

Despite enduring a disappointing season in the Bundesliga where they currently lie tenth, the Green-Whites have the possibility of ending the campaign with a cup double.

Thomas Schaaf’s men will play Bayer Leverkusen in the DFB Cup final on May 30 and will hope to travel to Berlin having already bagged the UEFA Cup.

Certainly having already despatched the likes of AC Milan, St Etienne, Udinese and compatriots SV Hamburg to reach the final, Bremen will be confident they can take the final step required to bring them their first European title since winning the Cup Winners Cup in 1992.

However, Schaaf does have problems going in to the game with a number of key players missing.

Bremen’s inspiration and top scorer in the competition, Diego, is banned, as is striker Hugo Almeida.

Injury also rules out Per Mertesacker yet Werder do have strength in depth and will look to Claudio Pizarro, Markus Rosenberg and bright young thing Mesut Ozil for inspiration.


FORM GUIDE

Shakhtar Donetsk

May 16: Zorya 0-3 Shakhtar Donetsk
May 10: Shakhtar Donetsk 3-0 Kharkiv
May 3: Kryvbas 0-1 Shakhtar Donetsk
Apr 25: Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 Chornomorets Odesa
Apr 19: Metalurh Donetsk 1-2 Shakhtar Donetsk

Werder Bremen

May 16: Werder Bremen 1-3 Karlsruhe
May 13: Eintracht 0-5 Werder Bremen
May 10: Werder Bremen 2-0 Hamburg
May 3: Koln 1-0 Werder Bremen
Apr 25: Werder Bremen 3-2 Bochum


TEAM NEWS

Shakhtar Donetsk

Tomas Hubschmann is suspended for the final but Olexandr Kucher should return.

Possible Starting XI: Pyatov, Srna, Kucher, Chigrinskiy, Rat, Gai, Duljaj, Ilsinho, Jadson, Fernandinho, Luiz Adriano

Werder Bremen

Diego and Hugo Almeida are both banned whilst Per Mertesacker will miss the game through injury.

Naldo, Claudio Pizarro and Markus Rosenberg should be fit but Frank Baumann is a doubt with a groin strain.

Possible Starting XI: Wiese, Fritz, Prodl, Naldo, Boenisch, Frings, Baumann, Niemeyer, Ozil, Pizarro, Rosenberg


PLAYERS TO WATCH

Shakhtar – Fernandinho

Shakhtar will look to their Brazilian contingent to provide the flair in the final and Fernandinho could be the man to watch.

The 24-year-old’s pace may cause problems for a fragile-looking Werder defence and his ability to shoot from range will also not have gone unnoticed.

The frontman has already bagged four UEFA Cup goals this season and another one on Wednesday night may go a long way to helping his side claim victory.

Werder – Mesut Ozil

With Diego missing for Bremen, Mesut Ozil may be the danger-man for Schaaf’s men on Wednesday.

The young playmaker has Turkish grandparents which could just inspire him to find his best form in Istanbul.

Certainly the 20-year-old has sparkled throughout this season and another explosive display could prove too hot for Shakhtar to handle.


PREDICTION

The Germans clearly possess a quality squad and also look to have the edge experience-wise, but injuries and suspensions could cost them dearly.

Shakhtar are not afraid to go for teams and with history to be made they may just become the first Ukrainian team, and the last in the competition's present format, to claim the UEFA Cup.