This Wednesday May 18th sees the Europa League Final coming to Dublin city, when crack Portugese outfit FC Porto take on the surprise package Sporting Braga in the decider.

The refurbished and brand new Aviva Stadium (formerly Lansdowne Road) is the venue for the showpiece of European Football’s second tier trophy, a prestigious prize which awaits either of the two Portuguese finalists.

If you are in town for the game and looking for some quality last minute accommodation in Dublin, you will need to book fast as time is running out!

Braga are in their very first European Final, but having accounted for famous European names such as Glasgow Celtic and Liverpool FC in earlier rounds, they will fear nobody. With a resolute defence and a lightning fast counter attack, Braga defeated Benfica (another Portugese outfit) in the semi final to book their place in the Aviva final. Lima and Paulo César are their key players to watch out for.

FC Porto are no strangers to European Football Finals, and lifted the Champions League as recently as 2004. The present team are managed by the young and much sought after coach André Villas Boas, and they performed brilliantly to beat Spain’s Villareal in the other semi final. Players such as Rolando and exciting attackers Falcáo and Hulk have performed impressively all year, and Porto have already captured the Portuguese League Title for 2010/11.

Hosting the Final is a major sporting achievement for Ireland and the brand new Aviva Stadium will be showcased to football supporters all over the world. The game kicks off at 19.45 Irish time.

Have you been to a game at the Aviva Stadium? Who do you think will prevail in the 2011 Europa League Final? Let us know your thoughts in the comments box below.