The day has dawned! The Champions League Final between Liverpool and AC Milan.
The repeat of two years back and I so dearly hope the result is the same. Though not quite!
I am absolutely sure that Pepe Reina is so much better at shot-stopping than Dida, but why take it to penalties, you can never be sure...
Please Liverpool! Win it in regular or at least in extra time.
But then I am also compelled to think, "If wishes were horses..." by just looking at the Milan side that the Merseysiders take on.
AC Milan play a total mid field game. Kaka playing in the hole between the midfield and the striker gives them a liberty to have two holding/defensive midfielders. Gattuso and Pirlo doing the dogged work of tackling and gaining possession and then triggering someone forward. Ambrosini and Seedorf being their creative forces and did I stress upon the presence of a certain Brazilian? Well, we all saw what he did to the Manchester United defenses. Poor Gabi Heinze was made to look school-boyish! Now another Argentine has his job scripted out: Javier Mascherano has only one thing to do on the pitch - Stop Kaka! Some task!
A similar battle of significance is the Steven Gerrard - Gennaro Gattuso. Then it is also to see how the ageing Milan defense sees off the aerial threat of Peter Crouch or the pace and versatality of Dirk Kuyt.
On the mid-field front Liverpool are blessed with strong and consistent players in Mascherano, Alonso, Sisoko, Gerrard or Zenden. Then there is the surprise Benitez could offer with Harry Kewell! But the question is how they stand against the tricks of the Milan middle-men!
In the back of the field Liverpool has the only Hercules in Athens - Jamie Carragher, ably supported by Daniel Agger. Steve Finnan has had an outstanding season and John-Arne Riise's goal scoring ability can be ignored by opponents only to their own peril. As a striker Filippo Inzaghi is a poacher and in a way does the job by hook or crook. So Carraghercules has to keep an eye out for the oncoming Kaka all the while!
All in all I can't wait for it to begin, and I don't want to count how many times I have mentioned Kaka!
Go Liverpool! And you will never walk alone!!
But then I am also compelled to think, "If wishes were horses..." by just looking at the Milan side that the Merseysiders take on.
AC Milan play a total mid field game. Kaka playing in the hole between the midfield and the striker gives them a liberty to have two holding/defensive midfielders. Gattuso and Pirlo doing the dogged work of tackling and gaining possession and then triggering someone forward. Ambrosini and Seedorf being their creative forces and did I stress upon the presence of a certain Brazilian? Well, we all saw what he did to the Manchester United defenses. Poor Gabi Heinze was made to look school-boyish! Now another Argentine has his job scripted out: Javier Mascherano has only one thing to do on the pitch - Stop Kaka! Some task!
A similar battle of significance is the Steven Gerrard - Gennaro Gattuso. Then it is also to see how the ageing Milan defense sees off the aerial threat of Peter Crouch or the pace and versatality of Dirk Kuyt.
On the mid-field front Liverpool are blessed with strong and consistent players in Mascherano, Alonso, Sisoko, Gerrard or Zenden. Then there is the surprise Benitez could offer with Harry Kewell! But the question is how they stand against the tricks of the Milan middle-men!
In the back of the field Liverpool has the only Hercules in Athens - Jamie Carragher, ably supported by Daniel Agger. Steve Finnan has had an outstanding season and John-Arne Riise's goal scoring ability can be ignored by opponents only to their own peril. As a striker Filippo Inzaghi is a poacher and in a way does the job by hook or crook. So Carraghercules has to keep an eye out for the oncoming Kaka all the while!
All in all I can't wait for it to begin, and I don't want to count how many times I have mentioned Kaka!
Go Liverpool! And you will never walk alone!!
