Champions League Final
Tomorrow night is the last real meaningful action of the football calendar in Europe as Manchester United and Chelsea will battle for the Champions League Title - the pinnacle of club football.
With the premier league going so close, Chelsea will be looking to win so they can save at least one good thing from the season - not to mention Avram Grants job. Manchester United will be looking for the double and capping off a great season for Alex Ferguson.
So the best way to think about this game is to look at each team individually so here are my predictions…
Manchester United, if I’m being honest, have been without a doubt the best team in Europe this year.
With Cristiano Ronaldo, Tevez and Rooney up front they have certainly had no problem thumping in their 80 Goals in the league. The Reds are utterly un-flinching at the back with Rio Ferdinand and co. and with a tight midfield including Paul Scholes, Nani and The legendary Ryan Giggs.
They have made it to Moscow Unbeaten, which is no mean feat when you consider they had to get past Lyon, Roma and Barcelona - three of the worlds best teams.
They haven’t even conceded a goal in their last five Champions League matches, which when you think about 450 minutes of keeping Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto’o, Mirko Vucinic and Karim Benzema at bay.
Manchester United also have the psychological advantage. Chelsea may have beaten them at Stamford Bridge, but Manchester United have won over 38 Premier League games.
Finally, there is a question of karma, of destiny. Every player who walks on to the Luzhniki’s re-laid surface in red will know the significance of what happened in Munich half a century ago.
But let’s not forget Chelsea; their most recent form surely suggests that it is Chelsea and not Manchester United who could be considered narrow favourites for Wednesday’s Champions League final.
Arsenal, Liverpool and Man United have all lost their most recent matches against a Chelsea team that, through chance as well as planning, has gathered form and momentum as the season has progressed.
The likes of John Terry, Michael Ballack, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba have missed periods of the season and arrive with the healthy balance of match form allied to freshness.
From front to back, just about the entire Chelsea team contains enormous international or Champions League pedigree.
The question is whether they can match the wonderfully fluid movement of Ferguson’s team.
As a neutral, I will sit back and enjoy the world’s best player’s play for the biggest honor a European club can get. I’ll have a beer, some Doritos and as long as it’s not nil-nil, I’ll be happy!
Score line prediction:
Manchester United 3
Chelsea 1
