UEFA Cup - Shakhtar lift UEFA Cup

Eurosport - Thu, 21 May 11:02:00 2009

Goalkeeping errors were the order of the night as Shakhtar Donetsk lifted the last UEFA Cup with a 2-1 extra-time win over Werder Bremen in Istanbul.

FOOTBALL 2008-2009 UEFA Cup Bremen-Shakhtar (Luiz Adriano) - 0

An entertaining first half saw Shakhtar play better football and create more chances but a terrible mistake from Andriy Pyatov allowed Naldo to level Luiz Adriano's opener.

The second half was a turgid affair although proceedings opened up in extra-time, with Jadson's low shot - mishandled by Tim Wiese - enough to give the Ukrainian side a historic first European trophy.

All three goals were scored by Brazilians in a final where both sides came into the knockout stages after group stage exits in the Champions League.

A frantic opening by Shakhtar saw Adriano miss a sitter, putting wide after he was played through by Jadson on five minutes.

They took the lead on 25 minutes when Adriano atoned for his profligacy by deftly chipping over Wiese after Bremen let a harmless through ball from Razvan Rat bisect the defence.

Two minutes later Adriano missed again, this time firing over from just inside the area, and the German side levelled on 35 minutes after a soft free-kick saw defender Naldo smash a fierce shot straight at Pyatov, who fumbled the ball into his own net.

It was a dreadful error but the immediate response of his team-mates was to high-five their keeper, encouraging him to make several good stops later in the game.

Initially, though, it seemed that his Bremen counterpart Wiese would take all the plaudits after he denied Mariusz Lewandowski with a great low save to his right with four minutes of the half remaining.

Five minutes into the second half, the German international shot-stopper was called into action again, tipping away Dario Srna's free-kick for a corner.

What followed was poor from both sides, though, as legs seemed to tire and play was broken up by bitty foul after bitty foul.

With 11 minutes of normal time remaining, Pyatov went from zero to hero when he brilliantly dived low to the right to prevent Claudio Pizarro's downward header from giving Bremen a win they scarcely deserved.

The match petered out to extra-time, which Shakhtar came out for with the kind of urgency that saw them impress in the first half.

Srna quickly forced a good stop from Wiese with a long-range effort but the Bremen number one handed Shakhtar the win when, after a good low cross from Srna on the right wing came to Jadson, he let the low, weak finish slide through his grasp and into the back of the net.

In the latter stages Bremen went close twice, with Pizarro first denied a headed goal by a good Pyatov stop and then a last-gasp equaliser when he was correctly adjudged to have fouled impressive Shakhtar defender Dymytro Chygrynskiy before finishing from close range.

But despite their late efforts Bremen could not force penalties and Shakhtar became the first Ukrainian side to win the UEFA Cup.

Reda Maher / Eurosport

Comment 17 - 36 of 56

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  1. Diego to juve .football is never pointless .

    From iancampbell11, on Thu 21 May 12:15AM
  2. glory glory Shakhtar!!!

    From Marcin, on Wed 20 May 11:44PM
  3. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Actually, it's the Champions' League which is a­ pointless competition. Most of the teams are not­ champions of their leagues, even tho this year's­ final will be decided by two champions. It's just a­ stitch up between the mega rich clubs of Europe. Look­ at the disparity in prize money between the two­ competitions. Money! Who needs it!

    From ALAN G, on Wed 20 May 11:35PM
  4. Come on Shahta!!

    From denyszhurbiy, on Wed 20 May 11:09PM
  5. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    super cup 2009 shaktar vs barca

    From anas_luqman, on Wed 20 May 11:05PM
  6. should have been 2 2 an penalties

    From Jimmyrice man u are champs again, on Wed 20 May 10:53PM
  7. Whats the new stupid pointless cup going to be­ called?
    They should just call a spade a spade and call­ it the UEFA Stupid Pointless Cup ! lol

    From Dean O, on Wed 20 May 10:52PM
  8. but dean o there will a new stupid pointless cup next­ season!

    From alfy02000, on Wed 20 May 10:44PM
  9. CHAMPIONS LEAGUE-WESTERN EUROPE
    UEFA CUP-EASTERN EUROPE

    From VINERI 13, on Wed 20 May 10:43PM
  10. Im glad this stupid pointless cup will no longer exist

    From Dean O, on Wed 20 May 10:36PM
  11. welldone Lucescu

    From moldvai, on Wed 20 May 10:28PM
  12. another cup for the billionaires.gratz !

    From pete7625, on Wed 20 May 10:22PM
  13. Cmon Werder Bremen,, even though i support neither of­ them

    From sjdolan, on Wed 20 May 9:12PM
  14. GO BREMEN ! btw Inter sucks !

    From Renan, on Wed 20 May 7:27PM
  15. No.27 Diego is not playing my freind.

    From niki r, on Wed 20 May 7:11PM
  16. looking forward to this game...fancy Bremen to win and­ really looking forward to seeing Diego in his first­ major final, he's a class player - hope he comes to­ the Premiership soon. 2-1 Bremen.

    From Chilla Black, on Wed 20 May 6:41PM
  17. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    SHAKTAR DONNEYSBECK

    From donneysbeck, on Wed 20 May 6:09PM
  18. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    A SAY NAYWAN CAD REALLY GAV A SHIITE ABOOT THE UEFA­ COP.

    From donneysbeck, on Wed 20 May 6:08PM
  19. cmon donetsk easy 2 0 win

    From leithenger, on Wed 20 May 6:01PM
  20. diego is a really big loss

    From mick.roberts_ireland, on Wed 20 May 6:00PM
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