Germany's Werder Bremen will face Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine in the last UEFA Cup final in Istanbul,Turkey.
Werder Bremen will hope to make up for a disappointing league campaign by beating Shakhtar Donetsk to capture the UEFA Cup on Wednesday and then use that success as a springboard to also capture the German Cup.
But while Thomas Schaaf's team chases a cup double it has slipped to 10th in the 18-team Bundesliga and is out of contention for qualification for the Europa League, which replaces the UEFA Cup next season.
"We have experienced a lot of downs but we are through to two finals," Bremen striker Markus Rosenberg said. "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."
The Sweden striker hopes to rediscover his goal-scoring touch in Istanbul's Sukru Saracoglu stadium.
"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," he said. "I am saving my goals for the UEFA Cup 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."
Rosenberg is set to replace the suspended Hugo Almeida and, like Peru international Claudio Pizarro, is fit again after missing Saturday's match against Karlsruhe.
But captain Frank Baumann is struggling to shake off a thigh muscle injury and central defender Per Mertesacker is out with a right-foot injury.
"We have enough classy players, no matter who plays," sporting director Klaus Allofs said.
Bremen goalkeeper Tim Wiese insists that the team should not be disheartened by its failure to mount a credible league challenge.
"There is not much difference between winning a championship or a cup," the 27-year-old Wiese said. "But this is the last UEFA Cup so it is very special to have made it to the final."
For Shakhtar Donetsk, Istanbul will be the culmination of a journey to reinvigorate Ukrainian football as the state has a team in a European final for the first time since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1990.
The team has goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov to thank for reaching the final after he let in just five goals in eight UEFA Cup matches on the way to Istanbul. Although Pyatov deflected praise to his defenders.
"All in all, it's more thanks to the defenders - my role is as a leader," the goalkeeper said. "The better I can lead the team - the defence, that is - the easier it is for me."
The 24-year-old Ukraine international said he is trying to forget the significance of the occasion.
"I'm calm," he said. "I've had other games and other finals before. This one is the final of the UEFA Cup and of course I think it means a lot to everyone. But life will go on ...
"Our goal was to win each individual match. We've stuck by this goal, gradually moving step by step, preparing ourselves psychologically to win each game and it's been successful."
Source: Wires
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