Eurosport - Fri, 08 May 10:31:00 2009
Shakhtar Donetsk qualified for the final of the UEFA Cup after a 2-1 semi-final second-leg win over fellow Ukrainians Dynamo Kiev gave them a 3-2 aggregate victory.
The hosts won a tense match thanks to an 88th-minute winner by Brazilian midfielder Ilsinho, who added to an opener from compatriot Jadson (pictured) that had been cancelled out by Ismael Bangoura.
Last year's Ukrainian champions will face Werder Bremen in the final after they beat Bundesliga rivals Hamburg on away goals following a 3-2 victory on the night.
League leaders Dynamo Kiev started brightly and had the first opportunity when Bangoura got into the box despite a tug from Mykola Ischenko but could only fire wide of the right-hand post.
The hosts then dominated though, forcing Kiev into their own half until, on 17 minutes, Brazilian forward Jadson hammered the ball into the roof of the net after compatriot Betao failed to clear his lines, putting them 1-0 up on the night and 2-1 ahead on aggregate.
Just after the half-hour mark, Kiev's Moroccan left-back Badr El Kaddouri saved his side with a superb challenge on the edge of the box and they thought they had levelled five minutes later when Croatia's Ognjen Vukojevic slide the ball past Andriy Pyatov after a superbly-worked free-kick but it was disallowed for a marginal offside.
Oleksandr Aliyev - who sent the low delivery into the box - protested too fiercely and was booked along with team-mate Bangoura, ruling the former out of his side's next European match.
The hosts led at half-time but whatever Dynamo coach Yuri Semin said at the break worked as, within two minutes, his side were level.
The otherwise-quiet Artem Milevskiy played a deft ball to Aliev that he slid through to Bangoura, who raced clear of the Shakhtar defence to loft a chipped finish over reserve keeper Pyatov.
The match opened up and both sides exchanged chances in what seemed a desperate attempt to avoid extra-time.
Fernandinho was denied by Betao after Jadson shot into the ground, while down the other end Luiz Adriano headed off the line after Pyatov flapped at a high ball.
Jadson went clean through but was denied by a brave diving block from Kiev back-up keeper Stanyslav Bogush, while for Kiev Finland midfielder Roman Eremenko drilled just wide after breaking down the right wing.
Bogush almost handed the hosts a winner when he dropped a straightforward high ball into Ilsinho's path, but he was saved on the line by Goran Sablic.
The winning goal came with two minutes remaining after El Kaddouri's poor decision to intercept a crossfield pass was exploited by Ilsinho, who cut inside from the right wing, slipped past Aliya Yussuf and switched on to his left foot, with which he passed a low, angled effort into the bottom right.
It sent the home fans into delirium and, despite frantic late pressure from Kiev, oil-rich Shakhtar held on to set up the biggest game in the club's history and their first European final.
Comment 1 - 5 of 5
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Okk. (post 1)
all teams have players from other countries, you need to wake up to reality sunshine. When liverpool played real madrid we had more spanish players than they did, the game is global now
Bravo Shakter..., The team of Ukrain's richiest man has reached the finals of UEFA, for the firs ttime. good luck guys!
The name of Shakter FC, is Brazilian Junior National Team. How else can you describe a team populated by Brazilians?
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