2009 UEFA Europa League Final Preview

Posted on Wednesday, May 20th, 2009 at 12:51 pm and is filed under News.

Nothing less than immortality is at stake for Werder Bremen and Shakthar Donetsk as they head to tonight’s UEFA Europa League final in Istanbul.

While Bremen won the Cup Winners Cup in 1992, neither Werder Bremen nor Shakthar Donetsk have ever claimed Europe’s second most prestigious piece of silverware, and winning the UEFA Europa League on Wednesday night would represent the greatest moment in the history of either club.

Werder Bremen go into the fixture on the back of a disappointing season in the Bundesliga, which is likely to end with them stranded in 10th place on the league table - and out of contention for European competition in the 2009/2010 season.

The Germans have also had their fair share of problems going into this evening’s match, and will miss the presence of Brazilian midfielder Diego and Portuguese striker Hugo Almeida, both of whom scored goals in the semifinals and are serving suspensions for tonight’s match.

Shakthar, meanwhile, look to be in better shape going into the match. The club comes into tonight’s fixture on the back of a 3-0 victory in their domestic league over the weekend, and will field the same side that defeated Dynamo Kiev to put them through to their first ever European final.

“We all will do our best to win the UEFA Europa League,” Shakthar coach, Mirea Lucescu, said on the weekend. “I believe we have enough power and skill to win the trophy. We just need to prove it on the pitch in Istanbul.”