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UEFA Cup: Zenit blasts Bayern; Rangers advance on PKs

Thu 1st, May 2008

St. Petersburg, Russia (Sports Network) - Pavel Pogrebniak scored two goals to send Zenit St. Petersburg to its first-ever European final with a 4-0 win over Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup semifinals on Thursday.

Zenit and Bayern Munich, the favorite to win the event, tied the first leg 1-1 in Munich last week and the Russians easily advanced on aggregate, 5-1.

Zenit St. Petersburg will play Rangers, which defeated Fiorentina on penalties 4-2 after two 0-0 games, in the final on May 14 at City of Manchester Stadium in England.

Before Zenit's quick-strike offense battered Bayern, midfielder Roman Shirokov made a game-changing save on the goal line in the second minute.

Bayern's Miroslav Klose ran onto a cross and headed into the ground, getting a perfect hop over Viacheslav Malafeev but Shirokov saved Zenit.

Just three minutes later, Pogrebniak scored his first goal off a free kick. He tried to bend the ball around Bayern's wall but, even though he drilled it hit the shot at the end of the wall, Bayern star Franck Ribery moved to open a big hole.

Bayern goalie Oliver Kahn barely moved and could only watch the ball roll into the back of the net.

Bayern Munich continued to pressure despite falling behind, but Zenit punished the German giants almost every time it had a scoring chance.

Konstatin Zurianov pushed Zenit's lead to two goals in the 39th minute, making a run into the penalty area past two Bayern players before beating Kahn.

Bayern made two switches at half, bringing striker Lukas Podolski and defender Christian Lell on for midfielder Ze Roberto and defender Marcell Jansen but it didn't pay off.

Viktor Faitzulin scored off a bullet header in the 56th minute and Pogrebniak doubled his total in the 73rd minute.

Zenit's only mistake was by Pogrebniak in the 77th minute when he got a yellow card. He will have to sit out the final for accumulated cards unless the call is overturned.

Malafeev was brilliant for Zenit St. Petersburg, making a few key saves among his seven stops.

Zenit also beat German side Bayer Leverkusen in the quarterfinals, 4-2. Zenit can join CSKA Moscow (2005) as the only other UEFA Cup champions from Russia.

Rangers, which was without a few key players, weathered an onslaught of shots from Fiorentina - it was outshot 15-0 at one point - but kept the Italians off the scoreboard.

Fiorentina goalie Sebastien Frey made a great diving save on Rangers' first PK but the Scottish club converted its next four attempts. Steven Whittaker, Sasa Papac, Brahim Hemdani and Nacho Novo all converted.

Novo's attempt clinched the victory after Fabio Liverani had his attempt saved by Rangers goalie Neil Alexander and Christian Vieri missed high.

Rangers are trying to become the first Scottish team to win the UEFA Cup.