UEFA Champions League Semi Final Roundtable
Posted by on 04.23.2007
We are down to our final four. Gerrard, Lampard, Rooney and Kaka will have a say in which two teams make the final in Athens on May 23rd. Staff thoughts - One Click Away
Can Chelsea break their Champions League jinx? Can Gerrard get one step closer to lifting his second Champions League trophy in three years? Can Milan stop the all-English final happening? Can United's makeshift defence handle Kaka and co? Loads of questions, ready to be answered by the 411 staff. But first .
The quarter final staff prediction scores
TIM O'SULLIVAN - 0 out of 4 (ouch) IAN WRIGHT - 1 out of 4 MORGAN MARX - 4 out of 4 (legend) TAAREQ ELSOKARI - 4 out of 4 (legend) SEAN GARMER - 4 out of 4 (legend) MAGNUS DONALDSON - 3 out of 4 MARK HILL - 2 out of 4
I told you all that Morgan would bounce back from the second round predictions. Well done to T and Sean, too. As for me, well it was without doubt my worst showing in two years of roundtables. Just shocking. I apologise to my seven fans.
Second time contributor, and friend of the show, Daniel Wilcox
Anyway, let's get amongst it
Thoughts on the quarter finals
Tim O'Sullivan
Well, Liverpool found PSV out for the inadequate side (at this level, anyway) they truly are, especially without Alex, and cruised through with class, and subsequent ease. United produced the best second leg performance since Deportivo over Milan near the start of the decade, Chelsea had one good half out of four to beat Valencia, and Meeeelan showed us that they can still compete amongst Europe's elite. Totally fascinating stuff throughout and a great fortnight for the English Premiership.
Ian Wright
Usually I have a decent score when it comes to predictions but last time around I had a bit of a disaster. Liverpool was a banker and I got that right but I took a punt on the other three and it all went horribly wrong. The big story of the round was the second leg of the United - Roma tie. I honestly don't think that that scoreline was a fair reflection of United's talents but I must admit that for those ninety minutes they were spectacularly good. Elsewhere Essien ruined my hopes in the last minute for a second time this season and AC Milan showed remarkable steel to go past Bayern.
Morgan Marx
Nothing too unexpected occurred in the quarterfinals. Each of the favourites moved through, some with ease (Liverpool), some with a little drama (Chelsea). Manchester United put on a finishing clinic against a summarily overmatched Roma squad. It was a shock to see the same PSV squad that dispatched Arsenal struggle so much against Liverpool. Finally, AC Milan simply outclassed Bayern in the second leg of their match-up. That's what the truly great teams do.
Taareq Elsokari
We saw some great games in this round. Milan-Bayern at the San Siro, Chelsea-Valencia in the Mestalla and Man Utd-Roma at Old Trafford really were awesome games. There were some great goals scored and some last minute drama. A great set of eight games which makes me look forward to another four good ones.
Daniel Wilcox
Three of the four ties were fantastic and the Liverpool-PSV tie was a foregone conclusion after the first leg but we got some great matches from the others. AC Milan almost lost the tie in the San Siro but pulled off an unlikely win in Munich while Chelsea-Valencia went right down to the closing minutes of the second leg and credit to Chelsea for coming back when things looked bad at 3/4 time. Manchester United put in a good performance to give them some hope after Scholes was sent off in the first leg against Roma but they were unstoppable at Old Trafford and ran out 7-1 winners in one of their greatest European performances.
THE ROAD TO ATHENS CONTINUES:
Chelsea vs. Liverpool
Tim O'Sullivan
Well, Chelsea were a better side than Liverpool throughout the 2004/2005 season, yet Rafa and co. still managed to overhaul them in the semis to book their date with destiny in Istanbul. However, Chelsea's attacking prowess is far greater now, and they are having a season of late drama and perhaps, luck, that has made them a side you simply cannot take for granted. Their spirit is seemingly stronger than its ever been, and Mourinho will be adamant his Chelsea side gain revenge on Liverpool for their controversial win in 2005, as well as getting one-step closer to scrapping the apparent jinx placed upon Chelsea in the Champions League. Either way, it should be another tight, tactically fascinating contest I won't be able to take my eyes off, surely only decided by one-goal or the away goals technicality. Liverpool have really lucked out with the second leg at Anfield, and Mourinho will be fully aware that his side really need to win at the Bridge this time around. After another poor Premiership campaign, Liverpool have backed it up with another fantastic European charge. They didn't play that much better than Arsenal did during the first half of the first leg in Eindhoven, but unlike the hapless Gunners, they dispatched their chances clinically, and looked like genuine contenders in the process. Chelsea are looking dangerous, but the destination of the second leg is imperative, and another one of those "Anfield Nights" looks possible.
Prediction : Liverpool (2-1 on aggregate)
Ian Wright
Of the three remaining English sides the one I'd least mind winning the Champions league is Liverpool and there's all sorts of historical milestones facing them if they're to do so. They could either face their greatest rivals in Athens or Milan in a repeat of the final from two years ago. First up is a repeat of the semi final from their glory season against Chelsea and it's so close I'm having difficulty picking a winner. Benitez is so well versed in the European game that I'd pick Liverpool over almost anyone at this stage but against another English side, one that's dominated them in recent years it's hard to predict. My head says Chelsea but as I said in the last round I've just got a feeling about Liverpool and really shouldn't change my pick mid stream. Score draw on Wednesday at the Bridge with Liverpool to put them away at Anfield.
Prediction: Liverpool (3-1 on aggregate)
Morgan Marx
The prospect of Chelsea and Man U fighting for three trophies to close out the season is the big story. Logically, one of the two teams will crash out of a competition, and I think the Champions League will see the upset. However, I think Chelsea will sneak into the final. While they haven't been blowing away teams like Man U, they have been doing just enough to get by. I think Chelsea will make a concerted effort to win the CL this year, making up for the last few.
Prediction: Chelsea (2-1 on aggregate)
Taareq Elsokari
This will be everything the United game will not be. This will be a low scoring tight tense affair. A game of chess will be the best way to describe it as both managers will look to get one over the other. I really am looking forward to this game for the simple reason that the intensity will make it a must watch and can't take your eyes off of it. I think the distraction of the Premiership race might get to Chelsea and give Liverpool a very slight advantage leading to a repeat of the 2005 semi final result.
Winners: Liverpool
Daniel Wilcox
Good to see that there will be an English side in the final for the third year running. Liverpool seem to fair well against Chelsea, particularly in Europe. Two years ago Chelsea didn't go all out at Stamford Bridge and paid the price as Liverpool went through at Anfield and this time around I expect Chelsea to try and win it in the first leg and I think Liverpool will have a tough task at Anfield in the second leg.
Prediction: Liverpool (On away goals. 3-3 on aggregate, 2-2 at the Bridge and 1-1 at Anfield)
Manchester United vs. AC Milan
Tim O'Sullivan
Whereas the abovementioned contest will be a tactical masterclass, decided by the odd scrappy goal, this will be full of attacking flair. United's almost flawless season is mildly unravelling with these badly timed injuries in vital positions, and it's pretty much changed a lot of peoples minds about the result of this tie. I'm one of those, although I was undecided, anyway. However, United's defence has looked ridiculously shaky over the past two games, despite only conceding one goal, and as noted by Ancelotti, the absence of Rio Ferdinand is a huge blow for Ferguson. Nine out of the presumed starting eleven for Tuesday were rested at the weekend for Meeeeeeelan, and they were fantastic at the Allianz in the quarter final, second leg. Gilardino is back on the scoresheet, Seedorf is having one of his good months, Pirlo is always reliably classy, their defence is typically Italian, and Kaka is Kaka. You can never rule out United, and if Rooney and Ronaldo bring their five-star games to the fold then they have a huge chance, of course. There are four potential finals available, and three of them would be monumentally historic. However, I see Meeeeelan putting the pressure on Liverpool to not allow the final that, er, wouldn't be historic at all!
Meeeeeeelan (3-2 on aggregate)
Ian Wright
Like I said above the second Roma game was a massive anomaly and Milan will provide a far tougher challenge then their Roman counterparts. This, coupled with my undying hatred for Manchester United and their massive injury crisis means that I feel they'll have to "settle" for the Premiership this year.
Prediction: Milan (4-2 on aggregate)
Morgan Marx
I think this will be the upset special. Holding on to the Prem lead might take more out of a team than chasing. If any team is stretched thin at this point, it has to be Man U. While Milan has struggled in Serie A (in no small part due to their penalty), they have the CL's best player (Kaka') and a talented squad of veterans. Man U won't intimidate them, and I don't think they will get blown off the pitch like Roma. If Roma had a bit more composure and a bit more experience, they could have put Man U in a serious bind.
Prediction: Milan (4-3 on aggregate)
Taareq Elsokari
This game is looking more and more likely to be less in the favour of Utd. It seems with every game comes a defensive injury. Utd's defence on Tuesday night will most likely be O'Shea, Heinze, Brown and Evra and that back line is even more reason why the midfield and attackers need to be able to keep the ball and do something with it. There is no way they can rely on a backline to keep them in the game which means that Milan will have lots of gaps to exploit. There is no doubt about it, this will probably be end to end and you can bet that there will be a fair amount of goals in this one.
Utd's recent league form is not great, one win, one defeat and one draw but they should take some confidence in knowing that going forward and firing on all cylinders they are capable on exploiting other sides defences.
Do I think that Utd will be in Athens? Truth is I don't want to give an honest answer to that so I will stick with the supporters answer and that's .
Winners: Man Utd
Daniel Wilcox
It's hard to bet against United after their quarter final performance but Milan are in a different class than Roma and impressed in Munich. United NEED to win at Old Trafford and it'll be a bonus if they stop the Italians scoring in the first leg. If United do that than they can expose Milan at the San Siro as they can play on the counter attack and open their defence up. Ronaldo and Rooney will need to be on form and I think it'll be a big night for Carrick as well. The return of Scholes and Neville will be a big plus for United.
Prediction: Man Utd (3-2 on aggregate: 2-1 at Old Trafford and 1-1 at the San Siro)
Enjoy the footy. No column from me tomorrow, as uni is a killer right now. However, Taareq should be around on Thursday to talk about an interesting week in the Premiership, plus more. Until next time
