GA_googleAddSlot("ca-pub-1197233282945943", "Star_Sports_Skyscraper");

Sports

Published: Friday May 8, 2009 MYT 7:57:00 AM

Shakhtar advances to UEFA Cup final

DONETSK, Ukraine (AP) - Shakhtar Donetsk reached the UEFA Cup final for the first time in club history Thursday, beating old Ukrainian adversary Dynamo Kiev 2-1 in the second leg of the semifinals to advance 3-2 on aggregate.

Brazilian midfielder Ilsinho scored the winner with one minute left in regulation. Shakhtar took the lead on Jadson's shot from 13 meters (yards) in the 17th minute after defender Betao failed to control Darijo Srna's cross into the box from the right.

Guinean striker Ismael Bangoura equalized two minutes into the second half, breaking through two defenders to shoot into the lower left corner.

"It was a real and tough cup match of the highest level," Shakhtar's Romanian coach Mircea Lucescu said. "There was enough show and real struggle in the match from the players on both sides."

Bangoura had a chance to give Dynamo an early lead but missed the target from the edge of the box four minutes into the game.

Going into the 137th match between the two teams, Shakhtar had a slim away-goal advantage after a 1-1 first-leg draw in Kiev a week ago.

The home side seized the initiative and Jadson first missed the target in the 11th minute before scoring the opener - his eighth goal in European competition this season.

Dynamo replied with counterattacks and had Ognjen Vukojevic's goal from Oleksandr Aliyev's free kick disallowed for offside in the 40th.

Artem Milevskiy combined with Aliyev to set up Bangoura's equalizer.

"Two equal teams played in the match," Dynamo coach Yuri Syomin said. "Our counterattacks looked good, but unfortunately we failed to capitalize."

Shakhtar remained in control and Fernandinho forced Stanislav Bogush for a save in the 51th. Bogush dived to block Jadson's shot from close range five minutes later.

Oleksandr Gladkyy, who came on as a substitute in the 70th, came close in the 82nd and had one more chance three minutes later.

Lucescu said he had considered substituting for a tired Isinho, but that he "had a premonition" the Brazilian would decide the match and left him on the field.

Ilsinho picked up a long pass on the right flank and cut into the box past two defenders to fire a right-footed shot into the far corner.

Shakhtar is unbeaten in five consecutive UEFA matches at the Olympic stadium in Donetsk and is the first Ukrainian team to reach a UEFA Cup final.

They beat Tottenham Hotspur, CSKA Moscow and Marseille before staging the first-ever all-Ukrainian semifinal in a European competition.

Dynamo Kiev won the Cup Winners' Cup in 1975 and 1986 during its Soviet heyday.

In the final in Istanbul on May 20, Shakhtar will play the winner of an all-German matchup between Werder Bremen and Hamburg.-AP

  • E-mail this story
  • Print this story

Sports Poll