Champions League Final Preview

Wednesday 23rd May 2007, Olympic Stadium, Athens. Kick-off 1945 (BST)

The two managers have a few decisions to make before the Champions League Final in Athens on Wednesday evening.

For Liverpool their winger Boudewijn Zenden is a doubt with an ankle problem, so Harry Kewell, who has hardly touched a ball this season could play wide on the left. Manager Rafael Benitez will not make a decision on Zenden until further checks on the injury.

Benitez said: “It will be difficult to say Boudewijn will be fit for the final now, but I won’t say ‘no’ yet. He is strong and determined and it may recover quickly. I still hope he will be OK. It will be a big disappointment for him and for us if it’s not possible. He can bring character, experience and tactical knowledge to the team.”

There is also a decision to be taken with regards Xabi Alonso. His inclusion could depend on where Rafa Benítez decides to play his captain, Steven Gerrard.

Liverpool’s first-choice keeper Jose Reina, who had a shoulder injury, and back-up Jerzy Dudek have both been passed fit. The Final will probably be Dudek’s last game for Liverpool but his defining moment, for which he will always be remembered, is that incredible night in Istanbul.

After being left out of the last game of the season against Charlton at home, Reina trained normally last week at the La Manga training camp in south east Spain.

Liverpool go into the game definitely without injured duo Luis Garcia and Fabio Aurelio, while Benitez is also hopeful Mohamed Sissoko will be available.

Within the other camp, AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti must decide between Filippo Inzaghi and Alberto Gilardino to play up front and there will also be a late fitness test for Paolo Maldini who has a knee injury. If Maldini plays, it will be his eight final.

Probably not surprisingly, Milan fielded virtually a second-string side in their 3-2 defeat to Udinese at the San Siro on Saturday. And while veteran defender Maldini, 38, has been bothered by a knee injury, he is still hopeful of starting his eighth European Cup final.

Ancelotti said: “I’ve already decided on my team except I have to wait and see for Maldini and decide on the striker - Inzaghi scores more goals than Gilardino but his support work is better.

“We will have to play our own game in the knowledge it will be difficult to play the ball around against a team that gives very little space.”

AC Milan and Liverpool’s only previous meeting in European competition was that epic final of 2005 in Istanbul. Eight of AC Milan’s starting eleven that night - Dida, Cafu, Maldini, Nesta, Kaka, Pirlo, Gattuso and Seedorf - are still with the club, as is second half substitute Serginho. Milan’s opening goal in that final was scored by Paolo Maldini after just 53 seconds and is one of only two first minute goals in a Champions Cup/Champions League final, the other was scored by Real Madrid’s Enrique Mateos in the 1959 final, although it is unknown exactly how many seconds had passed before Mateos scored. Maldini’s goal also made him the oldest Champions Cup/Champions League goalscorer at 36 years 333 days. As for Liverpool, nine of their players that started that final - Dudek, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Riise, Alonso, Luis Garcia, Gerrard and Kewell - are still at the club.

AC Milan have played one other European final against an English club. They defeated Leeds 1-0 in the 1973 Cup Winners’ Cup. Liverpool have played two other European finals against Italian clubs, winning one and losing one. They won the 1984 Champions Cup against AS Roma 4-2 on penalties, having drawn 1-1 after 120 minutes. The Merseysiders were defeated 0-1 by Juventus in the climax to the 1985 Champions Cup. Unfortunately that night will always be remembered for other reasons!

Liverpool have played in 10 European finals in all, winning eight and losing two. In the Champions Cup/Champions League, the Merseysiders have only lost once in six finals.

AC Milan have played in 13 European finals, winning eight and losing five. In the Champions Cup/Champions League, they have played in 10 previous finals, winning six and losing four.

On their way to Athens, both clubs have lost three Champions League matches. Milan succumbed to AEK Athens, Lille and Manchester United, while Liverpool were defeated by Galatasaray (in a game that didn’t mean anything in the group stages as Liverpool had already won the group), Barcelona and Chelsea. But of course, Liverpool ultimately won both ties over the two legs.

Both clubs entered the competition in the third qualifying round, and repeated history. The last two teams to reach the final coming from qualifying were Liverpool in 2004-05 and AC Milan in 2002-03.

As stated above, if Paolo Maldini is passed fit, he will be playing in his eighth Champions Cup/Champions League final, equalling the record set by Real Madrid’s “Paco” Gento in the 1950s and 1960s. Maldini will also be the oldest player to ever captain a team in the Final breaking the 46 year old record held by the Barcelona goalkeeper Antonio Ramallets who was 36. Maldini is the only Italian to have played 100 Champions League matches. He reached his century in the first leg of this year’s second round match against Celtic.

Alessandro Costacurta can become the fourth man to play in at least six finals and Clarence Seedorf can become the 11th to play in at least five. Seedorf can also become the first player to win four Champion League titles.

This match will be AC Milan’s 300th in European competition. If they score two goals they will have recorded 500 in European competition. They also need to score three times to record 350 in Champions Cup/Champions League matches.

For Liverpool Jamie Carragher is the most experienced player in the Champions League with 52 appearances, one ahead of his team mate John Arne Riise. Carragher also holds the club’s record for most European appearances overall, beating the record previously held by Ian Callaghan. Luis Garcia has scored 10 goals in the Champions League, more than any other Liverpool player.

The Final in Athens will be the 58th match of the season for both clubs. Of those 58 games, six Liverpool players have played in at least 48 matches for the club this season. The list is headed by Jermaine Pennant (50) and completed by Reina, Carragher, Gerrard (49 each), Xabi Alonso and Peter Crouch (48 each).

The AC Milan players with the most appearances this season are Clarence Seedorf (49), Andrea Pirlo (48) and Marek Jankulovski (47).

AC Milan head coach Carlo Ancelotti is one of only five people to have won this competition as a player and a coach. He won as a player with AC Milan in 1989 and 1990 and as a coach in 2003.

Both head coaches are going for their second triumph in the Champions Cup/Champions League. Liverpool’s Bob Paisley is the only manager to have won the competition three times (1977, 1978 and 1981). Rafael Benítez has now reached a European final in three of the last four seasons. He won the Uefa Cup with Valencia in 2004 and of course the Champions League in 2005 with Liverpool.

Liverpool can equal AC Milan’s six Champions Cup/Champions League wins. Only Real Madrid have won more with nine. The Spanish record of 11 Champions Cup/Champions League titles will be equalled, regardless of which club wins the match. Both Italy and England currently have 10. If Liverpool win, Spain’s record of 29 European titles will be equalled by English clubs.

Athens is the third city to host the Champions League Final twice. Munich in 1993 & 1997 and Paris (Saint-Denis) in 2000 & 2006 have also served as the venue on more than one occasion. In 1993-94, AC Milan thrashed Barcelona 4-0 in the final at the Athens Olympic Stadium.

We surely couldn’t possibly get another game like the Ataturk again, could we? It would certainly make up for the awful FA Cup Final on Saturday. Whatever happens there will be drama in one shape or another, that’s for sure. Will it be Gerrard or Maldini who lifts “Old Jug Ears” on Wednesday night. I can’t wait to find out!

The Soccer Blogger

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Many thanks
Rik