UEFA Cup Final LiveBlog: Rangers v. Zenit

Rangers 0-2 Zenit St. Petersburg
(Denisov 72′, Zyrianov 90+3′)

2034: And another goal to ice it. Zenit St. Petersburg has won the UEFA Cup. My man of the match is certainly Andrei Arshavin, who assisted both goals. Zenit gets a deserved win, and their first-ever European hardware.

2032: Ohhhhh …. Nacho Novo …. more like Nacho No-Goal … that should have been, if not a goal, then at least a better shot.

2030: Barry Ferguson makes the kind of foul you make when you’re about to lose a cup final.

2029: Zenit wins a corner. It’s all running out for Rangers.

2027: Boyd is on, with all of four minutes to play with. I’ll never understand that sort of substitution – a striker needs time.

2025: That scribbling sound you hear is thousands of people adding Arshavin to their Euro 2008 fantasy teams. He’s got some incredible moves, even if his finish isn’t great right now.

2024: Novo goes wide from a Lee McCulloch ball in. Down to the closing six minutes of the UEFA Cup.

2022: Lee McCulloch on now for Rangers as well. But in this situation, when a goal of any sort is needed, where is Kris Boyd? What is going on in the front offices at Ibrox that I don’t know?

2020: It’s Nacho Time for Rangers. Will it work? As it stands, Zenit have more than just the goal – they have all the momentum, and are shooting for more.

2017: Viktor Fayzulin wants in on the party, and very nearly seals things for Zenit. He was off target, but Rangers can’t afford one more chance like that.

2013: GOAL ZENIT! Arshavin plays a through ball that would make Beckham blush, to an onrushing Igor Denisov.

2012: There always seems to be one more Rangers defender than the Zenit boys planned on, and this time it’s good old Davie Weir who heads the ball clear, taking up a bit of the slack from his overworked central defense partner Cuellar.

2011: Aniukov for Zenit is down with what appears to be an ankle injury. Can Rangers take advantage of the loss of a very important cog for the Russians?

2110: As much as the pace has increased on the pitch, the fans are still the better show – the stadium is absolutely rocking, and credit to both sets of fans for keeping up the energy despite some lackluster game time.

2105: Nothing from the corner, and Zenit counters well, ending in a Arshavin shot that Sasa Papac is more than equal to. Great chance for the Russians, and great work to Papac on the heading clearance.

2104: Nice try from Whittaker, who shoots well, but his shot is deflected for a Rangers corner.

2101: Arshavin makes a lovely cross to absolutely no one in the Rangers box, and Papac does the job to clear it. Someone really missed their mark on that play for the Russians, and going by game form so far, I have to guess it was Tekke. He should be off for Dominguez, but given Advocaat’s strange history of substitutions, who knows who it will really be.

2059: Darcheville takes a foul for his aerial push on a Zenit defender. There’s been some fight in the game since halftime – let’s see if it settles in just like the first half did, after a quick opening segment. Rangers are at least taking some possession of the ball and attempting to move forward, which the fans have to appreciate.

2054: After Tekke is ruled offside, Rangers have a nice move forward and Darcheville has their best chance of the game, but Malafeev is all over it. Oh my – and Ferguson takes Malafeev’s rebound, but hits the post … Close going for Rangers. Well, we’re now tied on scoreline as well as on uncalled handballs in the box. It all evens out, as they say.

2051: Zenit continue to pass and possess well, but that’s never been their problem. Without a goal, passing and possession still lead to that other P word. Penalties.

2049: The jumbo screen in the middle of Manchester, the largest place for Rangers fans to watch besides the stadium, has broken. Have fun with that, Manchester police.

2046: The second half is underway. Both sides are unchanged at the half, with Rangers sticking with their 5-4-1 (you read it right) and Zenit remaining at something that seems to operate as a 3-5-2.

2040: On replay, that last ball that forced the corner might well have been a handball on Rangers in the box. That will give Advocaat’s boys something to whine about if they can’t finish this one off.

2037: My man of the half for Rangers was probably Carlos Cuellar, with a close second from Neil Alexander. For completely owning the possession, Zenit’s would be Tymoschuk. His strikers need to do better, though. As good as Rangers defense is, you might only get two good holes all match, and you need to be accurate at those moments.

2035: In case you’re interested in other results, Hull and Watford are tied at one apiece, which puts Hull up 3-1 on aggregate with 45 minutes to play in the Championship playoff semifinal.

2032: Neil Alexander cleans up a corner, and that’s the half. I know it’s a shocker, but it’s 0-0 in Manchester. Zenit has 59% possession, 5-to-1 shots on goal advantage, and all four corners … so to speak.

2030: A chance for Rangers off of a free kick, but Kevin Thomson hits the wall. Papac tries again with a rebound, but it’s well out of the box, and worries no one in Zenit territory. Nice long punch out from Malafeev.

2027: Tekke seems to be the anxious one on Zenit’s side, driving but tripping over himself a bit. Arshavin looks a bit more relaxed, and that’s the way that’s going to be successful against this Rangers wall. Fight patience with patience.

2025: Rangers look to be in their stride now – defend, defend, defend, and hope for the occasional counter to win 1-0. It’s not outside of imagining that they’ll get it.

2022: Broadfoot has a try from just outside the keeper’s box, but can’t keep his header down.

2020: Taking their cue from Papac’s ball handling, Zenit wastes a great chance from a free kick, and Rangers clear easily.

2019: Zurianov gets a shot off from the right penalty area for Zenit, but it’s wide. That’s the eighth shot for Zenit. Still not a single effort for the Scots.

2017: Darcheville gets a touch, but even he is practically defending as he cuts off a cross.

2015: Sasa Papac clears the ball well … only problem is, no one was pressuring him. That’s what happens when you get used to playing that game, I suppose. That could have been a good possession for Rangers, but it’s ruined quickly.

2013: Whoa … very close to a game-changing mistake from Malafeev. He goes way off of his line to get to a Kirk Broadfoot long ball, and Barry Ferguson should have made him pay, but didn’t take the shot. Zenit counters, and Alexander is up to the task for the save.

2012: It’s an old truism in football that it’s hard to beat a team who doesn’t want to win. Rangers are content to stick with the game that got them here, and so far, it’s working. Zenit is doing all they can, and nothing is getting through.

2011: Worrying times for Rangers as Carlos Cuellar looks a little beaten up … he’s a massive part of this defense, which as everyone knows is the biggest reason Rangers are here.

2009: Kevin Thomson adds a bit of flair to his fall, but it works and Rangers have a free kick.

2007: Nothing doing from the corner, but no sign of a counter from Rangers either.

2006: Zenit win a corner after Broadfoot gets his head on a dangerous cross.

2003: The shots are coming twice a minute from Zenit, who really have taken possession of the midfield. Rangers need to settle them down, or it’s not going to matter who’s in goal. Zenit has 63% possession so far, and they’re using it well.

2002:Tekke has a great chance from near the penalty spot, but he’s off target.

2000: Another from Thomson. He’s going in a bit aggressively, and he’s going to see yellow soon if he keeps it up.

1959: Kirk Broadfoot breaks up another Arshavin attack. Looks like Rangers have settled back into their regular wait-and-see game.

1956: Shot on goal from Radek Shirl off of the free kick, but Neil Alexander has it well handled.

1955: Kevin Thomson with the first foul of the match, and it’s a rough one. Free kick Zenit.

1953: Malafeev, the hero of Munich, gets his hands on the ball for the first time, breaking up a nice bit of play from Rangers.

1951: Rangers showing some spirit too, with a nice chance by Darcheville, but Zenit’s defenders clear it well.

1950: The Russians are on the attack, with early shots from Arshavin and Tymoschuk. Hemdani needs to be a bit better on the ball.

1948: Nice little offside trap from Rangers. That’s Zenit’s first attack absorbed, and it’s Tekke that’s caught.

1945: Rangers kick off. Game on.

1943: The teams are coming out, and it’s just about time. Let’s do this thing.

1939: Rangers fans have absolutely taken over Manchester. An estimated 100,000 are out in their colors today, and the area around the stadium is absolutely blue with them. This might as well be at Ibrox, for the crowd advantage, which is no surprise, of course, given the distance.

1932: Rangers seem to be lining up in their familiar European 4-5-1, with Jean-Claude Darcheville as the lone striker. Zenit have two up front, in the forms of Arshavin and Tekke.

1928: We have our squads, and they are as follows:
Rangers: Alexander, Broadfoot, Weir, Cuellar, Papac, Thomson, Hemdani, Davis, Whittaker, Ferguson and Darcheville. Subs from: Graeme Smith, Boyd, Novo, Adam, Dailly, McCulloch and Faye.

Zenit: Malafeev, Krizanac, Tekke, Arshavin, Sirl, Shirokov, Zyryanov, Faitzulin, Aniukov, Denisov and Tymoschuk. Subs from: Contofalsky, Radimov, Kim, Dominguez, Ricksen, Ionov and Gorshkov.

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Category: Europe