First thing’s first. Damn, this is one hell of a draw. The UEFA Champions League knockout stage will be nothing short of exciting this year, as the competition has brought forth some monumental matchups. One interesting storyline is the three matchups between Italy’s Serie A and the English Premier League.

Draw Results:
Chelsea vs. Juventus
Villarreal vs. Panathinaikos
Sporting Lisbon vs. Bayern Munich
Atletico Madrid vs. FC Porto
Lyon vs. Barcelona
Real Madrid vs. Liverpool
Arsenal vs. Roma
Inter Milan vs. Manchester United Read the rest of this entry »

The 2006-2007 Champions League Final produced a thrilling show at Athens’ Olympic Stadium. Filippo Inzaghi and AC Milan came away with a 2-1 victory to earn their 7th European Championship on an evening where Filippo Inzaghi will be remembered forever.

Inzaghi Becomes Immortal
When I projected the starting lineups in the preview, I thought Alberto Gilardino would be starting over Filippo Inzaghi. However, when Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti submitted his lineup card, Gilardino was nowhere to be found. In the 44th minute, Kaka was taken down outside of the box to set up the free-kick specialist, Andrea Pirlo. Pirlo sent the ball right through the Liverpool wall but on the way by it clipped Inzaghi on his left forearm and deflected in. In my opinion, the ruling should have been a hand ball. But German referee Herbert Fendal saw no evidence. Milan’s second came in the 82nd minute when Inzaghi received a beautiful through ball from Kaka. Inzaghi dribbled through the box to Jose Reina’s left and placed it directly underneath the diving keeper for the goal. Read the rest of this entry »

An Italian man faces six months of jail time for attempting to steal a satellite dish. The man stole the satellite dish because he wanted to watch the Champions League Final and I really can’t blame him. This game is one of the most important events in soccer, obviously ever fan would want to watch it.

I can understand that maybe he didn’t want to pay the money to watch it at a pub, or deal with the other people there, but at some point you just have to forget about what you want and accept defeat. The man is also facing a fine of 400 euros, so if he was hoping to save money, he failed on that account as well. And to heap on more insult, the jail probably isn’t going to be receiving the live feed from the Champions League Final. That makes this man 0-his attempt at watching the game. He didn’t even manage to get the satellite dish away from the campsite he was trying to steal it from, he made too much noise and was caught before he could get away.

So he didn’t get the dish, he didn’t get to watch the game, he goes to jail, and he has to pay a fine. I don’t know if there could have been a situation where this turned out any worse for him, the only thing I can think of is if he suffered bodily harm. Of course, that bodily harm could very easily come during his jail time.

AC Milan and Liverpool know each other all too well. The Italian and British squads faced off in the 2005 Final and tomorrow, they will do battle again in Athens. AC Milan have the second most Champions League titles with six, while Liverpool stand in third with five to their name.

Past Revisted
AC Milan are entering this match with heavy hearts. In the 2005 Final, Milan blew a 3-0 lead after halftime and eventually lost in penalty kicks. I am willing to bet that Milan will not repeat their horrendous choke. Milan will be focused and try to establish their game plan quickly. Liverpool earned their win in the last meeting with a miracle finish. They will have to play with the same intensity Wednesday night.

What to Watch: Milan’s Forwards
Anyone that follows soccer can tell you that AC Milan might have the best midfield assembled in the game today. However, the real question lies with how good Milan’s forwards are. Since losing Andriy Shevchenko last summer, AC Milan has only produced one forward who has scored more than three goals (Alberto Gilardino 12). This adds extensive pressure to the midfield but they’ve been up to the task all season long. Brazilian forward Ronaldo will not be able to help Milan in tomorrow’s final. He already appeared in this year’s competition with Real Madrid. I know Milan’s midfield is capable of controlling the game, but their forwards have to relieve them of some stress. Read the rest of this entry »

0 Manchester United @ 3 AC Milan
After Manchester United’s 3-2 win last week, they traveled to the San Siro needing at least a tie to move onto Athens for the Final against Liverpool. Unfortunately for the Red Devils, they left their defense back at Old Trafford. United allowed early goals to Kaka and Clarence Seedorf and another to Alberto Gilardino in the 2nd half, losing 3-0 in the pouring rain.

Early Collapse
United wasted no time in showcasing their horrendous backline. Within minutes, Kaka had burnt down the left wing and sent in a cross. Luckily for United, it was just a bit too far for Inzaghi to knock in. But that attack by Kaka showed the weaknesses of Gabriel Heinze and Nemanja Vidic. Playing without Rio Ferdinand, United’s usually steady defense was on their heels all day. A few minutes later, a cross from Seedorf somehow found Kaka with tons of room to navigate. The Brazilian hit a left footed volley past Van Der Sar to tie the score on aggregate and give Milan the edge on away goals. In the 30th minute, Milan struck again. A horrendous clear by United’s defense went right to the top of the box, where Clarence Seedorf was waiting. He scored and quickly, it was 2-0 and 4-3 on aggregate. United never threatened to cut into the lead.

Where’s Ronaldo?
This semifinal tilt was built up as a battle between playmakers Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo. Kaka made his presence felt throughout, scoring three goals in the two games. Meanwhile, Ronaldo failed to make much of an impact. It looked like he tried to do too much in an effort to match Kaka’s brilliance. Milan’s defense was far too physical for Ronaldo, especially in today’s first leg. Gennaro Gattuso had one purpose today: Make Ronaldo his bitch. Whenever Ronaldo got the ball, Gattuso was there. Because of the inability of United’s defense to stop anything, Ronaldo had to play much of the match as another wingback, which severely hurt his attacking.

Rematch of 2005
With the win, AC Milan has reached another Champion’s League Final. They knocked off Juventus in the 2003 final at Old Trafford. Two years later, they blew a three goal lead against Liverpool in Istanbul, eventually losing on penalty kicks. Revenge will be on their minds when the two teams meet in Athens on May 23.

The winner of today’s match between Manchester United and AC Milan knows exactly what awaits them in Athens: Liverpool. However, that game cannot be the focus of these two squads. Last Tuesday, Manchester United fought to the finish with a 3-2 win and now they will have to do the same at the San Siro (right).

No Captain’s Armband for Maldini
Another AC Milan player will have to adorn the captain’s armband today. Legendary defender Paolo Maldini will not suit up. Maldini, who only played one half in last week’s match, has been bothered by consistent knee injuries. In my opinion, I think it is better for the team that Maldini sits because it will give coach Carlo Ancelotti more options and speed to work with. Everyone knows that when facing Manchester United, you need speed to counter. Georgian international Kakha Kaladze will take Maldini’s place in the starting lineup. Read the rest of this entry »