Who will win the Champions league final!

[Mad2Ad]

Who do you think will win the champions league final.

I personally belive that ac milan will win because they just have a better team then liverpool. :lol:
i belive that the match will be boring with just liverpool defending and ac milan attacking( too predictable for me)

[JJU]

Just like the FA Cup final that Man United won on Saturday then??

oh.. wait a minute... :lol:

[cazbhoy]

I can see liverpool just sneaking a win in this one

[Kiko]

I believe liverpool will win this final
Tey shown the world that tough tehy haven't been at their top at english premiership , they have a great team.
AC Milan...not playing very well this season...unfortunately

[Mad2Ad]

I believe liverpool will win this final
Tey shown the world that tough tehy haven't been at their top at english premiership , they have a great team.
AC Milan...not playing very well this season...unfortunately

i personally want liverpool to win although i think that they wont.
it always seems to be spainish and italian teams wining the champions league (i know porto won it last season). Not many english teams have lately part from man u in there brilliant treble year.

[manyoolova]

at work, the feeling was mutual that we wanted an english team to win, whoever it was.

liverpool are definately the underdog, but football favours underdogs

..............................unless you're millwall.................

[Wednesdaylad43]

Indeed liverpool did sneak it. MY feelings changed throughout the game.

At the start, i half wanted liverpool to win, as they were english, and half wanted to lose, cos theyre scousers.

By half time i was happy they were getting hammered, cos i hate scousers

By the time they got to 3-2, i was pleased they were making a game of it, and would be happy if they won

By the pens i was cheering them on, at least theyre english, so what if theyre scousers :)

[Mad2Ad]

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Well Done Liverpool
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im glad they one coz there english plus they beat the arrogant milan.

must be one of the best finals ever

[Mad2Ad]

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Well Done Liverpool
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look its the kop :lol: :lol:

[manyoolova]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41186000/jpg/_41186135_pool_ger_top.jpg
that sums it up for me!!!

[Chester Guy]

Like Wednesdaylad, i had mixed emotions too, as i normally dislike liverpool somewhat, due to the fact that alot of people support them around here (along with the other localish clubs like Man United and Everton - although i dont mind the latter) however, i was pleased that they won, as they did English football proud in the way they battled back (well, the fact that they only had two english footballers in the team sort of throws that one out, but you get the idea :wink: ),

There is just one result i'd like to point out however at this point...


*ehem*

August 13'th 2002

Chester City FC (then in the conference, playing with a team most of who were signed on free transfers over the summer)


1







Liverpool (Playing with a squad worth something like £50 million on the day... Oh and now Champions League winners)











0


Thats all i wanted to point out :wink:

But full credit to liverpool for last night =D>

[manyoolova]

okay, you may have already read this somewhere but here goes.....

1978
Wales win the Grand Slam in Rugby
The Pope Dies
Liverpool lose in the League Cup final to the eventual League Champions that year (Forest)
Liverpool win the European Cup

2005
Wales win the Grand Slam in Rugby
The Pope Dies
Liverpool lose in the League Cup final to the eventual League Champions that year (Chelsea)
See what I'm getting at here?!
Still not convinced? Read on ...

1981
Prince Charles got married
Ken and Deirdre (Coronation Street) got married
A new Doctor Who was appointed
Liverpool won the European Cup

2005
Prince Charles marries
Ken and Deirdre re-married
New Doctor Who starts with a new Doctor
.........Anyone for a full house?

[JJU]

I was backing Pool all the way.. I've felt a strange sort of pity for them since 1989 (hehe), so have liked to see them do well.

Yes, it would have been nice to see some more english players, but at least the two they have are not deadweight, moreso the two they have were star performers on the night!

Similarily chuffed for Smicer on his last game for club.

[Mad2Ad]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41186000/jpg/_41186135_pool_ger_top.jpg
that sums it up for me!!!
behind ronaldinho and lampard probably best player i have seen this season, although when i have seen kaka he has bee brilliant

my mate said that gerrard well still go to chelsea (cant c it any more) for thirty million pounds but if i were liverpool i would say if zidanes worth fifty gerrards worth fifty.

[manyoolova]

Britain


LIVERPOOL ECHO
'We did it'
The greatest comeback in football history.


THE GUARDIAN
'Champions of Europe'
The glory of Liverpool is reborn. They are not merely champions of Europe once more but the indefatigable creators of a victory that will be talked about so long as football exists.


THE INDEPENDENT
'History men'
In the great, tumultuous history of Liverpool Football Club this will take some explaining.




THE SUN
'The IncREDibles'
Woken up this morning wondering whether you dreamed it all? Surely that cannot be right. Liverpool 3-0 down at half-time, coming back to 3-3 and then winning on penalties...


DAILY EXPRESS

'Dream Come True'
The newspaper recalls Steven Gerrard's comments made in Wednesday's edition - "Imagine that, me with the trophy in the air. It is an image in my mind I want to make it reality."


THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
'Gerrard leads glorious fightback'
It was Gerrard's guts and **** for glory, his refusal to countenance defeat even when its dark hand fell across Liverpool...


THE TIMES
'The Miracle of Istanbul'
Trounced by half-time, triumphant by the end, Liverpool celebrated their fifth European Cup all the more joyously because of the astonishing manner of victory.

'Kewell the odd man out on a night of pride and passion'
Never renowned for leaving a drop of blood, sweat, tears on the field, Kewell had clearly no intent on changing this successfully high-earning formula.


DAILY MAIL
'They've potted the big one... now let them defend it'
Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish on the likelihood of the Reds missing out on the chance to defend their title: "How can European football's rulers possibly ignore the cry for Liverpool to be allowed to defend their trophy next season?"

Italy


LA GAZZETTA DELLO SPORT Milan's pink sports daily newspaper
'The Champions League goes to Liverpool'
Liverpool are champions of Europe. For the fifth time. In the most extraordinary way... This cup was thrown away by Milan when one was already thinking about the statistics of the 4-0 victories over Steaua and Barcelona (in previous finals)... Honour to Liverpool.

The paper quoted AC Milan owner and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi: "Football is like politics: you think you have won, but that is not the case. Pity, this is a real pity. But I know full well what football is like."


CORRIERE DELLA SERA Milan, Italy' top-selling broadsheet
'The great unfinished double' (Milan were second in both the Italian league and the Champions League.)

This is the Milan of the great unfinished tasks: they lost the championship only a few games from the end; they lost the Champions League final after being ahead by three goals at the end of the first half. Never seen a Champions League thrown away like that.

'Dudek like Grobbelaar'
Like Grobbelaar, even more so than Grobbelaar. In the final at the Olimpico [in Rome] on 30 May 1984, Roma melted away from the penalty spot hypnotised by the dances of the goalkeeper... Yesterday, inside the Ataturk stadium, Milan collapsed in front of Jerzy Dudek's breakdance.


LA REPUBBLICA Rome
'Milan suicide, Liverpool triumph'

Also: 'The folly after the show'
One usually has to work hard for victories. Milan, instead, worked hard for a bitter defeat.

Gerrard raised the cup, they did not steal it. It seemed they lost it, they won it. Honour to them.


liverpool reaction, and... the rumour is that kewell will go to bayern for 3million

[manyoolova]

also, match ratings....


Liverpool


Jerzy Dudek (STAR MAN) - 9: Unsure at times but emerged the hero of the night with vital saves, including a wonder stop to deny Shevchenko in dying stages and two saves in the shoot-out.



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Steve Finnan - 6: Offered some attacking threat but often ran down blind alleys. Injury forced him off at interval.



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Djimi Traore - 6: All at sea in the first half. More like the new Traore after including a vital last-ditch clearance.



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Jamie Carragher - 7: Unusually off form as Milan dominated but battled cramp to put in some vital interceptions.



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Sami Hyypia - 6: Ran ragged by the pace of Shevchenko and Crespo at times but got better as the game progressed.



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Steven Gerrard - 8: After an anonymous first half his goal gave them hope. Sterling defensive work and drove his side on.



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John-Arne Riise - 6: Spent the first half in Cafu's pocket but contribution improved as the Brazilian ran out of steam



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Xabi Alonso - 7: Another to turn up at half-time. Some lovely touches and held nerve to equalise from the spot.



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Luis Garcia - 6: Missed Liverpool's only first-half chance and was wasteful with the ball. But looked a danger as the game opened up for the Reds.



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Harry Kewell - 5: Surprisingly handed a starting role but hobbled off after 23 minutes. Booed by section of fans.



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Milan Baros - 5: Had to battle on his own against Stam and Nesta and got little change out of either. Could have played last game for the club.



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Substitutes


Vladimir Smicer (Replaced Kewell, 23 minutes) - 7: Marked his final appearance with the crucial second goal.



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Dietmar Hamann (Replaced Finnan, 45 minutes) - 7: His arrival proved the catalyst to the astonishing fightback.



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Djibril Cisse (Replaced Baros, 85 minutes) - 5: Given time to complete the fairytale comeback from injury. Too eager to impress, he rarely looked like getting the winner.



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Manager


Rafael Benitez - 8: It started abysmally for him but his half-time team-talk and substitution proved inspirational.



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AC Milan


Dida - 5: Shaky. Did not inspire confidence as Liverpool stormed back and should have saved Vladimir Smicer's long-range strike.



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Cafu - 6: Up and down the touchline like an energetic teenager during the first half, fewer opportunities to do so as the match wore on.



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Jaap Stam - 7: Seemed powerless as the Reds scored three in seven minutes but generally a solid presence in the middle of the Milan defence.



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Alessandro Nesta - 7: Crafty, wily and adept at easing people off the ball. He and Stam formed a solid, dependable pairing.



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Paolo Maldini - 8: Simply the best. Scored, tore up and down his wing and kept his team-mates cool when Liverpool fought back.



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Gennaro Gattuso - 6: Tough, tenacious and terrible to play against, but conceded a clumsy penalty and was lucky to stay on the field.



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Andrea Pirlo - 7: Broke up a lot of play and set a lot of Milan moves in motion during an impressive first 45 minutes but went missing after the break.



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Clarence Seedorf - 6: Part of a dominant midfield in the first half, but could do nothing to stem the changing tide and was subbed before the end.



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Kaka - 8: Assured in possession. Set his strikers away with a series of precise, devastating passes as Milan raced into a 3-0 lead at half time.


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Hernan Crespo - 8: Scored twice and showed why he is rated so highly in Italy. Worked hard, held the ball up well and tore the Reds' defence to shreds.



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Andriy Shevchenko - 7: Denied from point-blank range in extra-time and struck a fierce free-kick. His movement caused real problems throughout the game.



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Substitutes


Jon Dahl Tomasson (Replaced Crespo, 85 minutes) - 5: Missed a good chance to win the match and struggled to impose himself on the game.



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Serginho (Replaced Seedorf, 85 minutes) - 6: Tricky down the left-hand side and forced Steven Gerrard into a defensive role to keep him quiet.



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Rui Costa (Replaced Gattuso, 112 minutes) - 6: Almost scored with a corner but had little chance to impress.



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Manager


Carlo Ancelotti - 5: Predicted an early goal and it duly arrived but could not change the course of the game.




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Referee


Manuel Gonzalez - 6: A steady game from the Spanish official.



laughable quite frankly, hyypia has a low rating and carragher should be about 9, as should gerrard

[JJU]

All depends where you look, different media sources seem to have very different opinions at times!

Must also comment, I thought the ref was a waste of space. Typically 'European' and blowing at every half physical challenge, and then failing to send off the AC player for the Liverpool penalty.

[manyoolova]

yeah, i agree, especially as Nesta set up a counter-attack by hand-balling it in the area!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[adam_the_scouser]

lol just found this thread now hope nobody minds me posting. Loved the first post "think it will be a boring game" that was brilliant. And why do you hate scousers Wednesday lad??? Anyway what a great game and I agree how wasn't Gerrard and Carragher rated 9 Hyypia was solid as always probably an 8.