noone has the right to deny liverpool's chances...imo they have the most coherent team in england & probably in europe...like arsenal benitez has built this team around some experience & his youngsters...i love the way pennant has turned out to be...hate him or love him crouch is 1 of the most english strikers & unlike some other stars he s managing to stay healthy...agger is the biggest & most pleasant surprise replacing hyppia in the central defense...finnan is one of my favorite british players ever since i ve seen him the 1st in WC 2002...as for the midfield its just unbelievable...gerrard is by far the best player in his position in the world & zenden has brought a much needed speed & talent to this midfield...mascherano has came out from nowhere to earn his place in athens(a gr8 powerful midfielder)...xavi alonso is also a midfield regulator(a player who has the potential to build up attacks as well as defending)...& up front kuyt may not be a goal-machine but he s certainly a player with a huge stamina & a gd all-around game...as 4 pepe reina well just see the penalty session & u ll see why this goalie has the potential 2 be his national team's number one...
as for ac milan a team that almost missed this year CL & was struggling in the middle of the table in the calcio it turned out to be a succesful season imo...ancelotti has really earned my full respect for managing a team that was doubting a lot...a master technician he proved to be the team's heart & mind...the purchase of ronaldo proved out to be a winning deal in the calcio as for europe well on both occasions we saw milan turning things around beautifully...against bayern they humiliated the germans in their own home & really shcocked manchester with their pressuring defense @ the san siro where ronaldo was submerged by this defense & was helpless against all this rossoneri wave...the only weak point remains dida who has problems away from his line...but on far shots he really his untouchable like he proved in most of this year's games...what impresses me is the defensive line & its age average which is over 30...nesta remains the big wall in this team...jankulovski is a very underrated defender who never fails to give a big game...he s really turned out to be one of the worlds best left defenders...as for oddo on the right flank well its nothing but a winning deal(just see the way he ctrled ronaldo @ the san siro)...kaladze the never aging maldini bonera cafu or costacurta are always an option of the bench to replace any injury...the midfield is very similar to milan but with much more technicity up front with kaka or the amazing seedorf...as for gattuso this player never stops to amaze me with his stamina & power in the field(a grumpier whiter makelele if you want
)...ambrosini brocchi are always there to bring even more power alongside gattuso...& not forgetting pirlo the gravity center of this team & the key player in this formation imo...gourcuff is also a succesful option of the bench to replace any lack of speed or ctrl in the midfield...the problem remains up front though for milan...inzaghi & gilardino are gd strikers but they simply never been decisive for their team in this CL...the solution has always been kaka who is certainly giving a life-time season...ricardo oliveira is probably the only failed transfer this year & this is why ancelotti brought in ronaldo who if had the chance to play this year's CL could have brought much more to an already fired-up team of milan...
in the end noone can pronostic this game...each side has its chance & believe me milan r eager to erase the istanbul deception...liverpool are also very heated-up & will try to prove that the istanbul experience wasnt a one time performance(& believe me its not just watch the FA Cup final against west ham)...
Posted: Fri May 04, 2007 11:43 am
(no treble for MU hahaha!!) btw i missed Tuesday's game cuz i stayed at work till midnight 
