CSKA out to spoil Sporting party

By Pete Sanderson in Lisbon

Forty-one years since their last taste of European glory, Sporting Clube de Portugal stand just one game from joining an illustrious band of clubs who have celebrated victory on home soil in a major European final when they take on PFC CSKA Moskva at the Estádio José Alvalade in the UEFA Cup final tonight.

Home advantage
Their path to this showpiece may have taken more twists and turns than a trademark run by their forward Liedson, but coach José Peseiro is confident his side can go one better than the Portuguese national team did at UEFA EURO 2004™ and lift the cup in front of their own supporters. "I believe we can do it because I believe in the quality of my players," Peseiro told uefa.com.

Sporting destiny
"We are on the brink of a great achievement. Everyone in Portugal expects us to win this game and I am no different. We have trained so hard for this, knowing we have the chance to win it in our own back garden and now we are there this is the best chance we will ever have to fulfil our destiny. We will not let anyone down."

Famous five
Should Sporting seize the UEFA Cup baton from last year's winners Valencia CF, they will become the fifth club to win on their own doorstep in European competition history, treading in the hallowed footsteps of Feyenoord, Real Madrid CF, FC Internazionale Milano and FC Barcelona. Victory will also further endorse the view that Portuguese football is as strong now as it ever has been, Sporting taking the country's tally to four major finalists in the last three years.

Sound infrastructure
"We are proud to fly the Portuguese flag in a major European final," said Peseiro, whose side are just one goal away from scoring 300 in continental football, although the Sporting coach's attacking options are narrowed by Tuesday's training injury to Chilean striker Mauricio Pinilla. "It is wonderful we have the chance to continue the tradition started by [FC] Porto and the national team. It shows we have the coaches, the players and the infrastructure to compete at the highest level."

Enakarhire back
Peseiro, a staunch disciple of the 4-4-2 system, welcomes back defensive lynchpin Joseph Enakarhire, although he is expected to start on the bench as the coach remains faithful to the central pairing of Beto and Anderson Polga. The man the bookmakers believe is most likely to score that landmark goal is Brazilian Liedson, who missed the weekend's costly SuperLiga defeat by SL Benfica, but returns to partner Sá Pinto in attack.

Same eleven
One man keen to prevent Sporting reaching any such milestone is CSKA coach Valeriy Gazzaev, who remains upbeat despite Sporting's home advantage. Incredibly, this will be the Russian team's 19th European game of the season, which includes their UEFA Champions League adventure. And Gazzaev, who is expected to keep the same eleven that defeated Parma FC in the semi-finals in their usual 3-5-2 formation, insists his side can cause an upset if they nullify Liedson.

'Quality players'
"I believe in the individual quality of my players," he told uefa.com. "They are in good form and have the character to stand up to Sporting. Sporting are a very strong side individually. Ricardo, [Fabio] Rochemback and Liedson are their key men but they also have great experience in Sá Pinto and Pedro Barbosa. But I have faith in my team and expect us to push them all the way." CSKA have already drawn twice in Portugal this term, against Benfica and Porto. On Wednesday night, however, they must go one better.