2008-05-01 23:45:07 -
LONDON (AP) - Zenit St. Petersburg routed Bayern Munich on Thursday to reach its first European final, setting up a UEFA Cup meeting with Rangers.
Zenit beat four-time European champion and tournament favorite Bayern 4-0 to win its two-legged semifinal 5-1, while Rangers beat Fiorentina 4-2 in a penalty shootout following a 0-0 draw to
reach the May 14 final in Manchester, England.
Only the second Russian team to make the UEFA Cup final, Zenit could now give the country its second winner in four years following CSKA Moscow's 2005 triumph.
Rangers is the first Scottish side to reach a final since its fierce rival Celtic lost to FC Porto in the 2003 UEFA Cup.
«Zenit really played perfect today,» Zenit goalkeeper Vaycheslav Malafeev said. «We capitalized on the chances we had.
Just a point away from winning the German league, Bayern was confident of progress in Russia but missed the chance to score a crucial away goal in the third minute when Luca Toni had a shot cleared off the line by defender Kim Dong-jin.
And the visitors were left to rue that miss a minute later when Pavel Pogrebnyak gave Zenit the lead with a free kick through the defensive wall and past goalkeeper Oliver Kahn.
Toni, who has scored 36 times for Bayern this season, missed the chance to add to his tournament-high 10 UEFA Cup goals when he headed over from close range and Zenit moved further ahead in the 39th through a shot by midfielder Konstantin Zyryanov.
Victor Fayzulin added a third goal in the 49th by heading in Aleksandr Anyukov's cross and Pogrebnyak made it 4-0 off Alejandro Domingues' cross in the 73rd, tying Toni on 10 tournament goals.
«Zenit definitely will be the favorite in the final,» Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld said. «The team that beats Bayern 4-0 could not be anything but the favorite.
But Zenit, which had never got past the quarterfinals before this season, will have to cope against Rangers without Pogrebnyak.
The forward was booked in the 76th for a foul and will be suspended.
Fiorentina drew 0-0 in Glasgow last week and dominated visiting Rangers at Stadio Artemio Franchi on Thursday, mustering 20 shots on goal to three by the Scottish club in regular time, but failed to capitalize on its chances.
The Italian club, which is fighting to finish in the top four of Serie A and qualify for the Champions League, had gone closest in the 70th when Romania striker Adrian Mutu drew a save from goalkeeper Neil Alexander with a 35-meter (yard) free kick. The keeper recovered just in time to stop Giampaolo Pazzini getting to the rebound.
Rangers did not get a shot on goal until the 77th, when Steven Davis managed a close-range flick. Fiorentina substitute Christian Vieri then spurned a clear chance at the other end almost immediately when he missed the ball just two meters (yards) out.
Stephen Whittaker went close again for Rangers with a shot that Sebastian Frey saved, but Fiorentina was back on the attack in extra time, with Vieri shooting wide and Zdravko Kuzmanovic heading over in the first three minutes.
Rangers was down to 10 men for the last 10 minutes after defender Daniel Cousin got a second yellow card for butting heads with Massimo Gobbi, but still held on for a shootout.
Frey stopped the first kick from Rangers captain Barry Ferguson, but Alexander saved Fiorentina's third kick from Fabio Liverani and Vieri shot wildly over the bar on the fourth, leaving Nacho Novo to send the Scottish club through.
