Zenit St. Petersburg chases its first European silverware when the free-scoring Russian champion takes on Rangers in the UEFA Cup final at the City of Manchester stadium on Wednesday. Zenit, bidding to become the second Russian side in four seasons to lift the trophy after CSKA Moscow's success in 2005, has produced some memorable performances en route to its first European final. The Russians overcame Villarreal and Olympique Marseille in the early knockout rounds before making the rest of Europe sit up with a 4-1 quarterfinal, first-leg demolition of Bayer Leverkusen in Germany. Then, in the semis, Zenit held Bayern Munich at home before stunning the four-time European champion with a 4-0 rout in the return to qualify for the final in style. Zenit coach Dick Advocaat said the UEFA Cup final was the most important game of the season for his club, which has made an indifferent start to the defense of its Russian title. “That's what I told my players,” the Dutchman told reporters on Friday following training. “After we beat Bayern I told them if you play like you did against the Germans you have a good chance of winning the trophy.” Zenit will be without Russia striker Pavel Pogrebnyak, the competition's joint top-scorer with 10 goals, who is suspended but welcome back influential playmaker Andrei Arshavin who missed the second leg of the semifinal. “I don't like to talk about individual players, especially those who will be missing,” said Advocaat. “The important thing is how the team responds to the challenge. We have done this (overcome suspended players) in the past and I hope we can do it again.” The final pits Dutchman Advocaat against the club he managed for three-and-a-half years between 1998 and 2002, winning two league titles with the Glasgow side. Rangers are bidding for the quadruple of UEFA Cup and three domestic trophies in a remarkable season that has already yielded one piece of silverware in the shape of the Scottish League Cup. But their quest for success on four fronts has caused a fixture pile-up which is fully testing the depth of Walter Smith's squad. Rangers striker Daniel Cousin is banned following his dismissal in the semifinal second leg. – Reuters __
