UEFA Champion's League 2007 Final

[ZeTurbo]

VS

So who do you think will win the final this wednesday?

[Cotterik]

liverpool. they did it last time they'll do it again this time. they just have all the strength in europe.

[shaht]

Milan will definitely take their revange.
Kaka is at the top of his form

[kingofthering]

I hope AC Milan crushes Liverpool into the ground.

[Kitdy]

I hope AC Milan crushes Liverpool into the ground.

No partizanship there that I can see.

I have no idea who will win but after hearing "You'll Never Walk Alone" first off of Pink Floyd's track Fearless as sung by the Liverpool Kop, then as seen and heard on YouTube, I really hope that Liverpool wins - those fans are crazy and that song is absolutely amazing when sung by a few dozen thousand rabid Liverpool fans.

Having said that, Kaka! (always gotta yell his name) is a big danger and the more defensive Italian squads are hard to crack. We'll see what happens!

[teatako]

I hope AC Milan crushes Liverpool into the ground.

They sure must be motivated by the "revenge" factor and im counting on that giving them the edge to beat Liverpool

[ZeTurbo]

I also think that Milan will take it. This year has been milan all the way.

Liverpool are not as strong as they were 2 years ago i find, and milan are even stronger than they were 2 years ago.

That said, one thing about these crazy english teams is that you can never EVER EVER count them out. Especially not liverpool.

My heart says Liverpool, but my head says Milan

[billabong2]

i want AC MIilan to defeat Liverpool because they knock out my two fav teams Chelsea and Barcelona

[jorismo]

It's a final, so there's no possible way to predict this...

I really think that Ac Milan is going to take it since they have shown the best consistency over the whole season, plus I think that Liverpool are very tired, having played a long season.

But as I said, it's a final, so you can never know...

[Cotterik]

hey this is like the eurovision song contest. No vote alla englande!

everyone has something against England.

Coincidence?

[ZeTurbo]

Id like to thank the mod who put the pole up.

Eurovision contest sucked big time. i watched it for the first tim in years this year and i was sick to my stomach.

[Jack_Bauer]

It's a difficult call as to who I want to win, or who I think should win. In purely footballing terms there's no doubt about AC Milan being much the better team. They are very difficult to break down and tactically excellent, as you would expect from any top Italian side. However, where they differ from a lot of the great Italian sides is the entertaining football they play. Their midfield five of Gattusso, Pirlo, Ambrosini, Seedorf and Kaka as definitely the best combination in the world at the moment, and probably one of the best in modern footballing history.

The quality of passing is superb, and the pace at which they play the game is thrilling to watch, similar in style to the great Man Utd side of the late 90s. They lack a bit of strength in depth up front, but when you have the goalscoring ability Kaka, Seedorf and Pirlo behind the striker it really doesn't matter all that much.

Interestingly Liverpool play in a style more akin to the typical Italian style of football. They keep things tight, work hard, very well organised and look to sneak a goal from their few attacks and set pieces. It's effective, but incredibly dull. It has seen them overcome sides with significantly more quality than them in the previous rounds, like Barcelona and Chelsea, and it just about worked in the final 2 years ago against Milan. It may work again, but in terms of pure football I hope it doesn't, and that Milan get revenge for having the title robbed from them 2 years ago.

The other big thing that draws me toward Milan is "Il Capitano" - Paolo Maldini. It's 99% certain that this will be his last chance to play in a major final (providing he passes his fitness test) and it would be great to see him claim one last European Cup medal. You can forget your Zindanes, Ronaldinhos, Keanes, Giggs, Matthaus, Gullit etc. For my money Paolo Maldini is the greatest player of the last 15-20 years. I'd say in the future he will easily be regarded in the top 10 greatest players ever to play the game. It's usually the flair, attacking players that get that kind of recognition (Pele, Maradona, Zidane et al) but Maldini was no less blessed in terms of raw footballing ability, and in terms of his attitude, workrate, commitment, honesty and loyalty he is peerless. http://youtube.com/watch?v=8fb8BjydX...elated&search=

BUT...

All that being said, it is HIGHLY debatable whether Milan should even be allowed in the competition after the whole "match fixing" scandal in Italian football last summer. They can consider themselves VERY lucky to even be in Serie A let alone be in the Champions League, it was only the Italian Football Federation crumbling under pressure that allowed them back in under appeal. If they do go on to win there will always be that cloud of controversy hanging over the whole thing. Of course, none of that has anything to do with the players, and it is they that have got them this far in the tournament.

In footballing terms Milan would be deserving winners IMO, but in wider political terms they really shouldn't even be in the competition. It's a tough one to call.

[ZeTurbo]

It's a difficult call as to who I want to win, or who I think should win. In purely footballing terms there's no doubt about AC Milan being much the better team. They are very difficult to break down and tactically excellent, as you would expect from any top Italian side. However, where they differ from a lot of the great Italian sides is the entertaining football they play. Their midfield five of Gattusso, Pirlo, Ambrosini, Seedorf and Kaka as definitely the best combination in the world at the moment, and probably one of the best in modern footballing history.

The quality of passing is superb, and the pace at which they play the game is thrilling to watch, similar in style to the great Man Utd side of the late 90s. They lack a bit of strength in depth up front, but when you have the goalscoring ability Kaka, Seedorf and Pirlo behind the striker it really doesn't matter all that much.

Interestingly Liverpool play in a style more akin to the typical Italian style of football. They keep things tight, work hard, very well organised and look to sneak a goal from their few attacks and set pieces. It's effective, but incredibly dull. It has seen them overcome sides with significantly more quality than them in the previous rounds, like Barcelona and Chelsea, and it just about worked in the final 2 years ago against Milan. It may work again, but in terms of pure football I hope it doesn't, and that Milan get revenge for having the title robbed from them 2 years ago. .

I agree with everything you said except this last paragraph. It was not by playing tight that liverpool "robbed" the title from milan 2 years ago. Liverpool went out on a limb and grabbed it from milan's hands. When you are 3-0 down, and make a comeback to 3-3 it's hardly due to your defensive prowess.
Yes Liverpool played a very organised defensive style that season and this season too, but that final 2 years ago was something else.

The other big thing that draws me toward Milan is "Il Capitano" - Paolo Maldini. It's 99% certain that this will be his last chance to play in a major final (providing he passes his fitness test) and it would be great to see him claim one last European Cup medal. You can forget your Zindanes, Ronaldinhos, Keanes, Giggs, Matthaus, Gullit etc. For my money Paolo Maldini is the greatest player of the last 15-20 years. I'd say in the future he will easily be regarded in the top 10 greatest players ever to play the game. It's usually the flair, attacking players that get that kind of recognition (Pele, Maradona, Zidane et al) but Maldini was no less blessed in terms of raw footballing ability, and in terms of his attitude, workrate, commitment, honesty and loyalty he is peerless. http://youtube.com/watch?v=8fb8BjydX...elated&search=

BUT...

All that being said, it is HIGHLY debatable whether Milan should even be allowed in the competition after the whole "match fixing" scandal in Italian football last summer. They can consider themselves VERY lucky to even be in Serie A let alone be in the Champions League, it was only the Italian Football Federation crumbling under pressure that allowed them back in under appeal. If they do go on to win there will always be that cloud of controversy hanging over the whole thing. Of course, none of that has anything to do with the players, and it is they that have got them this far in the tournament.

In footballing terms Milan would be deserving winners IMO, but in wider political terms they really shouldn't even be in the competition. It's a tough one to call.

[hec16]

I really like both teams my real team is Real Madrid but if I had to choose I'd say Milan is going to win!

[Lagonda]

Hell yeah ! 2-1