Beating domestic rivals Dynamo Kyiv in the semi-finals was not to be the pinnacle of Shakhtar Donetsk’s 2008/09 UEFA Cup achievements. With their now customary mix of Brazilian flair and European industry, Shakhtar topped that by overcoming a much-fancied Werder Bremen side 2-1 in the Istanbul final.
Bremen’s Naldo cancelled out Luiz Adriano’s 25th-minute opener, but a Jádson goal in extra time secured the first major European success for a Ukrainian club since independence.
1. Luiz Adriano
The Brazilian’s goal against Bremen was his third in that season’s UEFA Cup. The forward spent eight years at Shakhtar and eventually left for AC Milan in summer 2015 …