Rangers Ready for Manchester Showdown - UEFA Cup Final.
Rangers and Zenit St Petersburg of Russia meet in tonight`s Final of the UEFA Cup to be played at Manchester City`s City of Manchester Stadium.
If sheer fan power can win a trophy then Rangers have one hand on the Cup already, but they will not be underestimating their oppostion tonight.
Zenit have accounted for Marseille, Bayer Leverkusen and in the Semi Final Bayern Munich convincingly on their way to tonights Final and have looked a class side who will trouble a few of the big guns in next seasons Champions League for which they have already qualified having won the Russian title in November last year.
Ranger have a game plan which has worked in Europe to date and which saw them come through 2 tough games against Fiorentina in the Semi`s before finally holding their nerve in a penalty shoot out but they cannot use that system in tonight`s Final with any great confidence.
Though Ranger`s have been superb in defence during their run the question must be asked what do they have in the way of forward options should Zenit score and they have to go for goals.
Zenit will be missing their top striker Pogrebniak who scored twice in the 4-0 thrashing of Bayern in the Semi 2nd leg but still i believe they have enough to lift the Cup tonight.
Apparently the bookies have said they are taking 10 times more money for Rangers than for Zenit tonight but i always bet with the head not the heart and though i would like to see Walter Smith and his team lift the trophy tonight my money will be on Zenit.
