UEFA Cup final - live! Rangers 0 - 0 Zenit St Petersburg
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Published Date:
14 May 2008
By DAVID GUNN
Full-time: Rangers can have no complaints.
They played well in the second half but Zenit had more of the game and Denisov's goal was very well executed.
Many of the Rangers players are in tears on the pitch. They've let no-one down and some, Cuellar, Darcheville and Whittaker in particular, have been outstanding during the team's UEFA Cup run.
90+3 mins: It's over. Substitute Kim is clear on the left, he squares it to Zyrianov, who can't miss. The referee blows the final whistle. Zenit St Petersburg have won the UEFA Cup.
90+2 mins: Zenit make a change. Kim on for Faitzulin.
90+1mins: What a chance! Ferguson's long throw breaks to Novo, eight yards out. His snatched shot sails over the bar. Malafeev is booked for timewasting.
90 mins: Three minutes of stoppage time.
86 mins: Last throw of the dice for Rangers. Boyd replaces Whittaker, who's been one of Rangers' better players.
80 mins: Another Rangers change. Hemdani, who's been poor tonight, is replaced by McCulloch. Rangers switch to 4-3-3.
75 mins: Big let off for Rangers. Cuellar and Broadfoot can't clear inside the box, the ball breaks to Denisov nine yards out but he shoots wide. Rangers make an attacking change. Papac off, Novo on.
72 mins: GOAL! Igor Denisov. Rangers give away possession from a throw-in in their own half. Arshavin picks out Denisov's run into the penalty area. He slots the ball past Alexander.
67 mins: The game is definitely opening up. Zenit are pumping forward more long balls, while the Rangers midfield - Ferguson and Davies in particular - are starting to make some telling passes.
63 mins: Now it's hotting up. Davies's shot is cleared off the line, Zenit break, Alexander charges out of his area to try and clear, Arshavin gets their first but his lobbed shot is cleared off the line by the covering Whittaker.
61 mins: Sustained pressure from Zenit, who earn corners number six and sevin. Cuellar turns behind Tymoschuk's first corner, Alexander gets a fist to the his second. Rangers clear their lines but the game is opening up.
53 mins: Rangers' best chance of the night so far. Davies breaks free in the Zenit half and slips it through to Darcheville. Malafeev saves but can't hold. The ball breaks to Ferguson, who tries to scoop the ball back across the six-yard line. It cannons off a Zenit arm before it's cleared. Appeals for a penalty are waved away by referee Frojdfeldt. Rangers are beginning find a bit of space in the Zenit half. Davies is becoming more prominent.
46 mins: No changes to either side as the second-half gets underway.
Half-time: An uninspired but unsurprising story at half time. Zenit have had more of the ball but Rangers defence is solid. For all their possession, Zenit's best chance came from a Hemdani mistake in the fourth minute. They look good coming forward, particularly through Sirl on the left wing, but the final delivery is not damaging Rangers... yet.
45 mins: Corner to Zenit. Sirl's cross is cut out by Broadfoot but the corner comes to nothing. Rangers fail to clear their lines (again). Another corner, which Alexander claims well.
43 mins: Thomson's left foot shot hits the wall. The ball eventually breaks to Papac, who sends a wild volley over the bar.
42 mins: Chance for Rangers. Great work by Ferguson. He makes a surging run into the Zenit half and offloads to Darcheville, who's fouled just outside the penalty area...
37 mins: A Rangers attempt on goal! Darcheville's persistence earns a throw in on the right. Davies whips in a floating cross but Whittaker's header loops over the bar without troubling the 'keeper.
30 mins: The game's settled down a lot. Rangers aren't creating much but neither are Zenit. They need to be careful though; the Russians are 'making the most' of any physical encounters.
25 mins: Zenit are happy to let Rangers have possession in midfield, getting every player behind the ball and limiting their options. Rangers need a little more invention from Ferguson, Davies and Whittaker.
18 mins: Zenit are dominating possession without creating any clear chances. Rangers are struggling to get decent service to Darcheville. It's very similar to the semi-final game in Florence so far...
10 mins: Thomson goes in hard on Sirl. Free kick to Zenit, straight in front, 35 yards out. His swerving shot dips just in front of Alexander but the goalkeeper makes a comfortable save.
6 mins: Better from Rangers. Neat interplay between Thomson and Ferguson puts Darcheville through. His square ball across the six-yard box is nipped off Ferbuson's toe by the covering Zenit left-back.
4 minutes: Early let off for Rangers. Hemdani loses possession in midfield, Zenit break and Tymoschuk's left foot shot hits the side-netting.
Kick-off: It's on! Rangers all in blue, Zenit all in white. Rangers to kick off...
Pre-match: Kevin Thomson has shrugged off a foot injury and will start for Rangers in tonight's UEFA Cup final against Zenit St Petersburg.
He and Brahim Hemdani were assigned to defensive midfield roles, with Steven Davis, Steven Whittaker and captain Barry Ferguson playing behind lone striker Jean-Claude Darcheville.
Walter Smith has gone with the same XI that started the semi-final second leg against Fiorentina in Florence.
There was no place for fit-again midfielder Lee McCulloch, or for striker Nacho Novo who struck twice in Saturday's league win over Dundee United.
However, McCulloch and Charlie Adam won places on the bench instead of Thomas Buffel and the suspended Daniel Cousin.
Zenit coach Dick Advocaat had striker Pavel Pogrebnyak, the leading scorer in the competition, suspended but he did have Andrei Arshavin back from a ban.
Advocaat made two other changes against his old side with Fatih Tekke and Radek Sirl starting. Former Rangers defender Fernando Ricksen was among the substitutes.
Teams:
Rangers: Alexander, Broadfoot, Weir, Cuellar, Papac, Thomson, Hemdani, Davis, Whittaker, Ferguson, Darcheville. Subs: Graeme Smith, Boyd, Novo, Adam, Dailly, McCulloch, Faye.
Zenit St Petersburg: Malafeev, Krizanac, Tekke, Arshavin, Sirl, Shirokov, Zyryanov, Faitzulin, Aniukov, Denisov, Tymoschuk. Subs: Contofalsky, Radimov, Kim, Dominguez, Ricksen, Ionov, Gorshkov.
Referee: Peter Frojdfeldt (Sweden)
The full article contains 1049 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
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Last Updated:
14 May 2008 9:42 PM
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Source:
The Scotsman
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Location:
Edinburgh
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Related Topics:
UEFA Cup
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Rangers FC