16 May 2009 - Zvezda Perm's Ship Hits A Duisberg

On 16 May 2009, German side Duisberg (pictured) took a giant step toward winning their first UEFA Women's Cup, beating Russia's Zvezda Perm 0-6 in the first leg of the Final at the Central Stadium in Kazan, Russia.

The scoreline was no anomaly; Duisberg had rolled through the earlier rounds in similar fashion, including a 5-1 win over Ukranian side Naftokhimik and a 5-0 win over Levante, both during the group stage, and an aggregate 1-5 victory over their fellow German side (and defending UEFA Women's Cup champions) Frankfurt in the quarterfinals. The Russians, however, had advanced to the Final with a series of closer matches, never winning by more than two goals.

The first leg of the Final stayed close for most of the first half, with Zvezda keeper Nadezhda Baranova denying a 12th-minute Duisberg penalty to keep the match scoreless until the 42nd minute, when Duisberg's Famke Maes scored to put her side up 0-1.

Zvezda attacked the Duisberg goal in the second half, but paid the price when Duisberg counterattacked and won another penalty for a second handball. Duisberg captain Inka Grings converted the 64th-minute kick, doubling the visitors' lead. After that, the floodgates opened. Grings scored twice more to complete her hat-trick and also notched an assist on another goal. Maes also scored again for a brace.

The 6-goal advantage proved too difficult for Zvezda to overcome in the second leg, which ended as a 1-1 draw six days later in Duisberg, giving the German side their first Cup. Grings finished as the tournament's top scorer with seven goals.