Werder Bremen will be looking to end its 2008/2009 campaign on a high on Wednesday when it travels to Istanbul to play Shakthar Donetsk in the final of the UEFA Europa League.

The match is the first of two cup finals that Bremen will play during a pressure-filled month. The side is also scheduled to play in the German Cup final in coming weeks.

Ironically Werder Bremen will miss out on European competition altogether next season, even if it goes on to take top honours in the UEFA Europa League and German Cup. This is because the club is currently languishing in 10th place in the Bundesliga.

“We have experienced a lot of downs but we are through to two finals,” Bremen striker Markus Rosenberg was quoted as saying by the Canadian Press. “It’s been a strange season. We are used to challenging for the Bundesliga title but that did not happen. Instead we did really well in the cups.”

“It has been a really strange season for me too. I started really well and scored quite a few goals. I don’t know what happened. I am saving my goals for the UEFA Europa League final.”

“It will be the biggest game I have ever played for a club. It’s second only to a Champions League final. So far I have only won a Dutch Cup with Ajax so I would love to add another title to my collection.”

CSKA Moskva striker, Vágner Love, appears destined to win the accolade for the top goalscorer of the 2008/2009 UEFA Europa League.

The Brazilian scored 11 goals during the course of CSKA Moskva’s UEFA Europa League campaign, and is likely to win UEFA’s marksman award despite the fact that his club exited the tournament in a loss to UEFA Europa League finalists, Shakthar Donetsk, in the round of 32.

The next closest contender was Hamburg’s Ivica Olic, who scored 9 times for his club before they were eliminated from the UEFA Europa League by Werder Bremen in the semifinals. Fabio Quagliarella of Udinese finished third on the goalscorer charts with the 8 goals he scored for the Italian club.

Only one player represents the UEFA Europa League finalists in the goalscorer charts, with Werder Bremen’s Diego in joint 4th place with 6 goals for the 2008/2009 UEFA Europa League season. The Brazilian is unlikely to make any further contribution to his tally, as he will be serving a ban during the final.

The absence of representatives from the UEFA Europa League finalists in the top goalscorers list is based on the fact that both clubs participating in the final only entered the tournament after being eliminated from the UEFA Champions League.

Werder Bremen have been dealt another blow to their personnel department ahead of the 2008/2009 UEFA Europa League final against Ukranian club Shakthar Donetsk.

Bremen are already facing the prospect of playing the final without the assistance of two of their semifinal goalscorers, midfielder Diego and striker Hugo Almeida, both of whom will miss the tournament decider due to suspensions.

The German club have now found that defender, Per Mertesacker, will miss the final due to a ligament strain he picked up during the course of last week’s UEFA Europa League semifinal.

“We have to wait and see if Per can play again during this season,” Reuters quoted Werder coach Thomas Schaaf as saying. “I hope he can.”

The club is also facing a probe into the conduct of goalkeeper, Time Wiese, who was cited following Sunday’s 2-0 victory over Hamburg in the Bundesliga. The ‘keeper is in hot water can could face suspension for joining Bremen fans in verbally abusing the opposing team.

Werder Bremen built further momentum ahead of their looming UEFA Europa League final encounter with Shakthar Donetsk on the weekend, handing hapless Hamburg their third defeat in four encounters.

Bremen met Hamburg just days after eliminating the North German club from the UEFA Europa League, and the Hamburgers once again failed to contain the Bremen attack despite the absence of their opponents’ semifinal goalscorers, Diego and Claudio Pizarro.

“We take this game very seriously,” said Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf. “The team worked hard the whole week and we were rewarded for with a good win. It was great to see the players getting the reward.”

The loss capped a dreadful week for Hamburg, who now find themselves in a battle to qualify for European competition for next season. The result also put Hamburg out of contention for the Bundesliga title, with the club 5 points off the pace with three matches left in the season.

“Both teams were fighting hard in the first half,” said Hamburg coach Martin Jol. “But there was a certain lethargy in both teams. We always tried to take the initiative against Werder, but we seemed to be always chasing the game and we weren’t productive enough. Therefore, Werder earned the victory.”

If you’ve been watching the action unfold in the 2008/2009 UEFA Europa League, you’ll probably have some thoughts on which club will emerge as the tournament winners in Istanbul on the 20th of May.

The final of the UEFA Europa League will feature Germany’s Werder Bremen up against Ukranian club Shakthar Donetsk. The match promises to be a highly competitive affair, with both clubs showing real flair in the UEFA Europa League semifinals.

William Hill has opened match betting markets for the 2008/2009 UEFA Europa League final, allowing football fans to access early prices on one of the biggest club football matches of the year.

The English bookmaker fancies Werder Bremen to take the cup in 2009, having priced the German club at 4/5 for the final.

Shakthar Donetsk meanwhile, are not priced far off their UEFA Europa League final opponents at even odds. This price offers great value, giving punters the opportunity to double their money during the UEFA Europa League final.

William Hill will open up dozens of additional football betting markets in the week ahead of the UEFA Europa League final. Stay tuned to UEFA Europa League bets to receive news about any betting specials and free bets William Hill will offer for the final of the 2008/2009 UEFA Europa League.

Final

Wednesday, 20 May 2009
19:45 Shakhtar Donetsk v Werder Bremen - Istanbul

Semifinals, Second Leg - 07 Mayl 2009
Shakhtar Donetsk 3-1 Dynamo Kiev (3-2 agg.)
Hamburg 2-3 Werder Bremen (3-3 agg. Bremen win on away goals)

Shakthar Donetsk emerged as the victors in a hard-fought UEFA Europa League semifinal against Dynamo Kiev in the Ukraine on Thursday evening.

Shakthar’s contingent of Brazilian players proved to be the difference between the two sides, with both of the home team’s goals coming from Brazilian imports, as Jadson and Ilsinho scored a goal apiece in each half.

Dynamo Kiev managed to find the back of the net only once, with Bangoura scoring the visitors equalizer just after half time. The 2-1 result saw Shakthar Donetsk progress to the UEFA Europa League final 3-2 on aggregate.

“We are now a part of the history of European football,” Shakthar coach Mircea Lucescu said after the match. “It was a tough game as Dynamo were at their best as well.”

Shakthar will face Germany’s Werder Bremen in the final of the 2008/2009 UEFA Europa League on the 20th of May.

“The result is just and deserved,” Lucescu concluded. “The level of football corresponded to the high status of a Uefa Cup semi-final and the fans were treated to both a show and a battle.

Werder Bremen secured a place in the final of the 2008/2009 UEFA Europa League on Thursday evening, defeating Bundesliga rivals Hamburg 3-2 in a high-scoring match. Thursday’s match produced a 3-3 aggregate draw, with Bremen progressing on away goals.

The match looked to be going Hamburg’s way when Ivica Olic scored for the home side on 13 minutes. However, Hamburg’s lead didn’t stand for long as Diego scored the equalizer for Bremen on 29 minutes.

The goal-fest continued in the second half as Claudio Pizarro put Bremen in the lead in the 66th minute before Frank Baumann put the result beyond doubt for the visitors in the 83rd minute. There was a final desperate flurry from Hamburg, who produced a second goal through Olic 3 minutes from time.

“I think I have to congratulate both teams for a very good game,” Werder coach Thomas Schaaf said after the match. “But I think my team deserved to advance, we were able to come back, we had confidence and we pushed forward.”

Bremen’s three away goals put them through to the 2008/2009 UEFA Europa League final in Instanbul. The German club will face Ukraine’s Shakthar Donetsk in the deciding fixture of the tournament.

Shakthar Donetsk meet Dynamo Kiev in a delicately balanced UEFA Europa League semifinal fixture on Thursday evening.

Shakthar hold the slenderest of advantages heading into the tie, having secured a valuable away goal during their visit to Kiev in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League semifinals last week. Home advantage also lies with Shakthar in the winner-takes-all tie.

While a goalless draw would secure victory for Shakthar, they’re unlikely to batton their hatches and hope to hold out the Kiev attack. The club have been excellent on attack in front of their home crowds this season, scoring 6 goals in 3 UEFA Europa League matches.

Added to this impressive scoring record is the fact that Shakthar are unbeaten at home in the UEFA Europa League this season. However, if the match is assessed on the basis of pure pedigree it is Dynamo Kiev who should come up trumps.

The visitors are currently runaway leaders in the Ukranian domestic league, and come into tonight’s match bolstered by a 1-0 win on the weekend. The club is also no stranger to success in Europe, having lifted the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1986.

Dynamo Kiev coach Yuri Semin is confident that his side will prevail in tonight’s fixture, telling UEFA.com “We came here to fight, and I believe my players can be winners, and after that in the Uefa Cup final.”