Zenit lift UEFA Cup after 2-0 win over Rangers

WINNER: Zenit St. Petersburg's team with the trophy after winning the UEFA Cup final football match against Rangers.

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Keywords: Rangers, Zenit St. Petersburg

Walter Smith's side conceded only two goals in eight games en route to the final and their organised defence held firm.

Zenit's Turkish forward Fatih Tekke, handed a place up front by Advocaat in place of suspended striker Pavel Pogrebnyak, was given no opportunity to gain from a succession of Arshavin crosses into the danger area.

Rangers were the first to threaten after the break when they at last created a clear opening, Darcheville getting ahead of his marker to fire a low shot that was parried by Vyacheslav Malafeev.

In the ensuing scramble Rangers were adamant they should have been awarded a penalty by Swedish referee Peter Frojdfeldt when Barry Ferguson's flick appeared to strike the arm of Denisov.

Rangers were pushing further forward but in doing so left themselves exposed to Zenit's swift counter-attacks which on 64 minutes nearly brought the breakthrough.

Alexander rushed out of goal to intercept a long clearance downfield but Arshavin was first to the ball.

Rangers were fortunate to have two defenders alive to the danger and Sasa Papac got back to clear Arshavin's curling strike off the line.

Zenit finally found a way to beat Alexander when Denisov and playmaker Arshavin split the Rangers defence through the middle with the former slotting the ball home from eight metres.

Konstantin Zyrianov struck the post from close range a few minutes later before the midfielder kickstarted a Russian party by converting Tekke's cross deep into added time.