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Today is another important day in the life of European football. In the UEFA Cup final at the "Ullevi" stadium in Gothenburg, Spanish champions will clash with the giants of French football. The match will start at 21:45 Lithuanian time, with the referee being Italian Pierluigi Collina.
History
Various cup finals are already a familiar phenomenon for Valencia. In 2000 and 2001, this Spanish club participated in the UEFA Champions League finals. However, both attempts were unsuccessful. The last time the club experienced success in Europe was in 1980, when they won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.
Olympique Marseille's glory days are long gone. In 1999, they played in the UEFA Cup final, but lost 0-3. However, in 1993, the French sensationally won the UEFA Champions League.
Path to the final
Valencia played from the first stage and eliminated: "AIK Solna", "Maccabi Haifa", "Besiktas", "Genclerbirligi", "Bordeaux", "Villarreal"
Marseille played from the third stage and eliminated: "Dnipro", "Liverpool", "Inter", "Newcastle"
Teams
If Valencia has weaknesses, it is in the attack. They have a great goalkeeper, solid defense, good midfielders, but sometimes their attacking mechanism fails. Although the club has excellent goal-scoring midfielders, they lack a top-class striker who can assist their main goal scorer Mista. Knowing that next year the Spanish champions will be playing in the UEFA Champions League, the club should strengthen.
Marseille is like two teams - one excels in the UEFA Cup defeating clubs like "", "", while the other struggles in the 7th place in the French league. Following great UEFA Cup matches, there were shocking draws with mid-table teams. It is possible that in case of defeat in the final, next season we might only see Marseille in the French Championship.
Team News
The star of the Spanish club, Pablo Aimar, is likely to play today despite suffering a groin injury. "Aimar is slowly recovering from the injury," said coach Rafa Benitez. "He is a player who can break through the opponent's defense and if we need him, he will play his role in the final." After injuries, defender Rufete and striker Miguel Angel Angulo return to the lineup. Both are likely to start the match from the bench.
Marseille's coach, Chose Anigas, can breathe a sigh of relief - his star from Ivory Coast, who suffered a thigh injury in the semi-final match against Newcastle, is likely to play today.
Predicted Lineups
Valencia (4-5-1): Canizares; Curro Torres, Ayala, Marchena, Carboni; Albelda, Baraja; Rufete, Aimar, Vicente; Mista
Marseille (3-2-1-2): Barthez; Beye, Hemdani, Meité; Ferreira, Dos Santos; Flamini, N'Diaye; Meriem; Marlet, Drogba
Key Players
(Valencia)
The 39-year-old veteran once again proves that age is not always a barrier to playing. An extremely combative player who disrupts opponents and creates attacks for his team is an integral part of the Spanish club. Today, his role is crucial as he will be one of the main players to disrupt the French attacks and stop the opponent's leader.
Didier Drogba (Marseille)
The hope of the French team. A player who has excelled in previous stages of the tournament is already considered the find of the season. Returning after injury, he will be one of the main players capable of scoring today.
