LONDON, May 2: Unheralded Zenit St Petersburg, who crushed favourites Bayern Munich 4-0 on Thursday, will face coach Dick Advocaat’s former club Rangers in the UEFA Cup final.

Rangers, managed by Advocaat from 1998-2002, drew 0-0 following extra-time at Fiorentina before advancing 4-2 on penalties after their semi-final tie also ended goalless on aggregate.

Zenit will play the May 14 final at the City of Manchester Stadium in England without the inspiration behind their remarkable 5-1 aggregate win over four-times European champions Bayern.

Russia striker Pavel Pogrebnyak, who scored Zenit’s first and last goals in the second-leg rout, was booked late in the match and will be suspended.

“This was my best game of the season and probably one of the best in my entire career,” said Pogrebnyak.

Konstantin Zyrianov and Viktor Fayzulin also netted against Bayern, who were European champions three years in a row in the mid-1970s and added a fourth title in 2001 after lifting the UEFA Cup in 1996.

“Bayern are one of the best teams in Europe but tonight we outplayed them technically and tactically,” Dutchman Advocaat told reporters.

“(We) were much sharper in front of goal so all the credit should go to our team.”

Zenit, in their first European final, will look to emulate fellow Russians CSKA Moscow, who won the UEFA Cup in 2005.

“Any team that beats Bayern 4-0 must be the favourites,” said visiting coach Ottmar Hitzfeld.

Fiorentina were left to rue missed chances at home and in Glasgow.

The Italians had an extra man for the final 11 minutes of extra-time after Rangers substitute Daniel Cousin was sent off for a second bookable offence.

In the shootout former Italy striker Christian Vieri blasted his spot kick, Fiorentina’s fourth, over the bar after Rangers keeper Neil Alexander had saved from Fabio Liverani.

Nacho Novo then secured the win.

“We must accept it, it’s been a good night but it could have ended better,” said Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli.

“Particular thanks to the lads who tried right up to the last minute to win. A team that didn’t want to play has been rewarded.”—Reuters