411 UEFA Champions League Final – Staff Roundtable Preview

Posted by Tim O'Sullivan on 05.20.2008

It's Cristiano Ronaldo v Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand v Didier Drogba and Michael Ballack v Paul Scholes, as the top two teams in England meet in Moscow for the biggest prize in club football. Staff thoughts, one click away.


I would love to ignore this game and pretend it isn't happening, but I suppose you've got to be professional in situations like this and appreciate it for the relevance it carries.

As for the game, well we have four opinions on the battle at The Luzhniki Stadium. Here they are:



Tim O'Sullivan

Man Utd have just won the highest-standard league in the world (damn, La Liga was poor this season), the best player in the Premier League, the best defender in the world and the likes of Vidic, Evra, Anderson, Rooney and Tevez.

However, I still sense that something is missing with them. Maybe it's the centre of midfield. Maybe it's Fergie's erratic tactics. It's hard to slate them, even mildly, because they are probably the best team in Europe right now – I just can't seem to shake off the feeling that they'll bottle it on Wednesday night.

As for Chelsea, well Avram Grant's funny little face deserves some joy. He's been treated like shit from day one and has done a really good job. Granted (no pun intended), I could probably get Chelsea to fourth in the Prem due to their superbly impressive squad, but it's still worth giving him an encouraging and mildly patronising pat on the back. They really dominated United in key areas a few weeks back and there's no reason why they can't do it again. Oh, and PLAY ESSIEN CENTRE MID YOU CHUBBY PLONKER!

Prediction: Chelsea to win 1-0


Ian Wright

United are, much as it pains me to say possibly the best side in the world right now. And I'm not sure how it got that way as I thought that the side that won the league last year was one of their poorer title winning sides. Yet they've added to the squad well in the past 12 months and for me to make the concession that I just did really does mean something. Nonetheless they weren't exactly in flying form as the Premier League drew to a close and in recent head to heads Chelsea have had the edge (despite the win at Old Trafford in the autumn, I'm not sure if that result should count when considering the turmoil Chelsea were in at that point) and I think I'd bust a gut laughing if Avram Grant masterminded a Champions League victory after all the stick he's received this season.

Prediction: Chelsea to win 2-0


Daniel Wilcox

The bad news is, Terry, Drogba and Carvalho will all play in the final having shaken off injuries. But on the bright side, that just means that scummy Chelsea fans will have no excuses when United pummel them on Wednesday night. Having said that, I'm not at all confident of a United win. I just keep thinking back to last year's FA Cup final and the fact that United played fantastically well and were robbed of a couple of decisions that could have won us the game (Giggs' disallowed goal for one). So I'm with Avram Grant in that I'm glad there won't be an English official for the game. As has been the case with both semi-final matches against Barca, I think that if United play attacking football then they'll win; of course, they didn't do that against Barca and still won, but Chelsea are a better side than Barca, I feel. Chelsea will be looking to pick themselves up after failing to win the Premiership and that'll mean that they will be going for it. Ferdinand and Vidic will have to play their asses off to keep Drogba quiet, while I fear Ronaldo will have one of those games where he "goes missing," although I'd love for him to have a big night. With all that being said, there's no way I can go against my own team here. I don't agree that there'll only be a goal in it but it'll be close for the majority of the match. Let's go for a lavish prediction; the game's 50/50 until the 68th minute when Carlos Tevez scores one of his patented vital headers. Chelsea come back into the game but fantastic defending prevents the equalizer on a couple of occasions and with 10 minutes left on the clock, United counter-attack and Ronaldo doubles our lead. A deflated Chelsea can't keep the ball, and Ronaldo caps off the victory with his second goal at the death. Seriously, go to your local bookies and put money on that scenario. Come on, United!

Prediction: Man Utd to win 3-0


Sean Garmer

The champions against the League Runner's-Up, this will be the third time these two meet each other, so it will be interesting to see which game we are going to have here. It is no secret that SAF wants this bad, and he is going to do everything possible to make sure it happens, Avram Grant has done well figuring out how to use his stars. Drogba will be there to bail out Grant again if need be, so will Ballack. However, we aren't talking some midtable Prem team they are going against here. Rooney, Ronaldo, Tevez, does that trio ring any bells? Yeah, they play ridiculously well with each other. The Man United back four allowed the least number of goals all season and with all of them healthy it is going to be very hard for Chelsea to score against them. Neither of these teams will have the ability to be at home, this is a neutral field in Moscow, and the better team should win this. I don't think we are going to have a repeat of the FA Cup Final from last year, because Grant is no Mourinho. There will be drama, goals, and maybe some controversy. There's no question who I support, and I hope that I will be singing Glory Man United!! When it is all over. I just hope my fears don't come true and this goes to extra time because I will be a very nervous man.

Prediction: Man United to win 2-1


Enjoy the game.

O'Sullivan

Done.