Either Werder Bremen or Shakhtar Donetsk will collect their first UEFA Cup crown as they face off for the 38th and final UEFA Cup trophy before the UEFA Cup becomes the UEFA Europa League.
Third UEFA Cup Final With Former Champions League
The UEFA Cup final on May 20, 2009 will be the third time the finale features two teams which dropped to the UEFA Cup after finishing third place in the group stage in the Champions League. In 1999-2000, winners Galatasaray beat Arsenal and Feyenoord knocked off Borussia Dortmund in the 2001-02 season.
Past Experience
Shakhtar are looking for their first European trophy and the first Ukrainian team to win the UEFA Cup. Shakhtar are in their first European final after three times reaching the UEFA Cup last 16. Bremen shoot for their second European crown after taking the 1991-92 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup title. The Germans have reached the UEFA Cup semi-finals three times (1987-88, 1989-90, 2006-07) but are in their first UEFA Cup final.
Shakhtar Season In Review
Skakhtar opened their Champions League Group C campaign with a 2-1 win at Basel. But they lost against Barcelona and then twice against Sporting. A 5-0 home victory over Basel secured them third place but a 3-2 win over Barcelona was not enough to reach the next round. In the UEFA Cup Round of 32, Shakhtar beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 on aggregate. CSKA Moscow were the next victims for Mircea Lucescu's team 2-1 on aggregate in the Round of 16. Shakhtar cruised past Olympique Marseille 4-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals before eliminating eventual Ukrainian league champions Dynamo Kiev 3-1 in the semi-finals.
Bremen Season In Review
Werder Bremen opened the Champions League Group B with three straight draws against Anorthosis, Internazionale Milano and Panathinaikos, who then beat Bremen 3-0 in the fourth game. Werder were last in the group after a draw at Anorthosis but Thomas Schaaf's team beat Internazionale to finish third in the group. In the UEFA Cup Round of 32, Bremen beat AC Milan 3-3 on aggregate on away goals. The Round of 16 saw Werder knock off St.-Etienne 3-2 on aggregate. In the quarters, Bremen threw away a two-goal first leg lead before beating Udinese Calcio 6-4 on aggregate. Just like Shakhtar, Bremen's semi-finalists were also from their own country. And Werder Bremen beat Hamburg 3-3 on aggregate on away goals to reach the final.
Players Missing
Olexandr Kucher will be available after serving a suspension for Skakhtar but Tomas Hübschmann is suspended after a booking in semi-final return leg. Bremen meanwhile will be missing top player Diego as well as striker Hugo Almeida.
