Champions League Final 2018- Real Madrid v Liverpool (May 26th)

Champions League Final 2018- Real Madrid v Liverpool

I can't believe how many so called Manchester United fans are talking about 'wanting' to see Liverpool win the Champions League this weekend.

I can't imagine too many have actually been to see United play Liverpool and the way their European Cup success is used as a stick to beat us with else you would never think that is what you want let alone openly tell people.

I just don't get it.

Personally I have very little love for Real Madrid and was desperately hoping Bayern Munich beat them in the Semi Final as they deserved to but that was mainly because I also thought Bayern Munich had a 'better' chance of beating Liverpool of the two teams.

However it is what it is and while I think I am being overrun by the horrible feeling of inevitability this Liverpool run has had, I also believe in my gut that Real Madrid have enough to win the trophy on Saturday.

Expected Real Madrid Team: Navas, Carvajal, Marcelo, Varane, Ramos, Modric, Casemiro, Kroos, Isco, Benzema and Ronaldo

Expected Liverpool Team: Karius, Alexander-Arnold, Robertson, Lovren, Van Dijk, Henderson, Can, Milner, Mane, Salah, Firmino

This might not have been the Champions League Final that many predicted back in August, but it has the makings of a good one when Real Madrid meet Liverpool.

Real Madrid have plenty of recent pedigree in the competition as they have won three of the last four editions of the Champions League. There have been some questions raised in the performances of Real Madrid to get through to the Final this season, but what they have displayed is plenty of experience at key times of matches.

They have also rode their luck in the last couple of Rounds and you have to feel that luck is going to run out on them at some point.

A team like Liverpool have the capabilities to create chances and score against this Real Madrid team with the front three using a lot of pace and movement to put Real Madrid in some difficult positions. They will be encouraged by the chances and goals scored by Juventus and Bayern Munich against Real Madrid and the general style of play employed by the European Champions should suit Liverpool who will have spaces to exploit on the counter attack.

Much will depend on how well Liverpool cope with what is a very good Real Madrid attack, especially having seen the English side struggle to deal with Roma in the Semi Final Second Leg

The first goal feels like it is going to be very important as it will allow the team who scores it to take their time and look for the counter attacking opportunities.

My gut feeling for weeks has been Liverpool are going to win the Champions League, but I do wonder how much that has got to do with me being a Manchester United fan and preparing myself for what feels inevitable.

However Liverpool have lost 2 of their last 3 Finals and they are playing a team who have coped with these situations better than most. Real Madrid have to use all of their experience and they will create chances against Liverpool, but there is that fear that they will finally be exposed defensively and punished by a Liverpool attack who are fine finishers.

Even then you have to lean towards Real Madrid on their experience and ability to win the big competitions which has yet to be matched by Liverpool. I think the latter will play their part and this could be a high-scoring game like the Final was last year, but like last year the reigning Champions may have a little too much know-how for their opponents.


At odds against I will look for Real Madrid to win this one and I won't be surprised if the fixture producing at least four goals on the night. While the usual stance is that Finals produce tense matches, I think these teams match up well and 3 of the last 7 Champions League Finals have produced at least four goals in regulation time.

MY PICKS: Real Madrid to Win @ 2.20 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Real Madrid-Liverpool Over 3.5 Goals @ 2.15 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Champions League Final 2016 (May 28th)

The Champions League Final is once again going to be competed by Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid for the second time in three years.

Can Atletico Madrid earn a measure of revenge for the late way they were denied in Lisbon, or will Real Madrid make it eleven times a European Cup winner? We will find out on Saturday in Milan.

Real Madrid

If you go back around five months, I don't think there would have been many people tipping Real Madrid to win too many trophies come the end of the season as Barcelona steam-rolled all around them. The last couple of months has seen a real upturn in form that saw Real Madrid only just miss out on winning La Liga from under their great rivals' noses, but now they have a chance of winning the biggest competition in European Football.

This is the second time in three years that Real Madrid have reached the Champions League Final and two years ago they won their 10th European Cup under Carlo Ancelotti. Now Zinedine Zidane looks to write his name in the Real Madrid history books by winning the Champions League as a player and then as a manager of the club.

Real Madrid have been beaten in 1 of their 12 Champions League games this season, but they have only just got through the last couple of Rounds. After losing 2-0 in Wolfsburg, Real Madrid beat the German side 3-2 on aggregate in the Quarter Final before a narrow 1-0 win on aggregate over Manchester City in the Semi Final.

Form has not been an issue for Real Madrid to close out the season as they are unbeaten in 10 games in all competitions since their 2-0 loss in Wolfsburg. Real Madrid have won 9 of those 10 games and have won 4 in a row since the goalless draw with Manchester City at The Etihad Stadium in the Champions League Semi Final First Leg.

The big news out of Madrid is the injury scare suffered by Cristiano Ronaldo, although the Portuguese superstar has said he will not miss the Final. Raphael Varane has been ruled out.

Atletico Madrid

All credit has to be given to Diego Simeone for the job he has been doing as manager of Atletico Madrid as his side look for revenge for their Champions League Final defeat to Real Madrid two seasons ago. Simeone might be one of the sought after names in management, but his loyalty to Atletico Madrid has to be admired, while an ability to replace the top names that have left the club and to maintain standards is a testament to the job he has done at the Vicente Calderon.

There will be some history that Atletico Madrid are trying to make as the club have lost both of their previous European Cup Finals and will be looking to win the competition for the first time. The defeat to Real Madrid two years ago was particularly galling as Atletico led with just a couple of minutes left in the game before falling apart in extra time and many of those players are still in the Atletico squad.

No one will be able to say Atletico Madrid don't deserve to win the Champions League if they do go on and take the trophy home in Milan. The side have already beaten the two previous favourites in Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the Quarter Final and Semi Final respectively so going into this one as the underdog will hold no fear for Simeone or his players.

Atletico Madrid had won 7 games in a row in all competitions before suffering back to back away losses at Levante and Bayern Munich, the former effectively ending their La Liga title hopes. There have been two weeks for Atletico Madrid to prepare for the Champions League Final and they did end the season with a 2-0 home win over Celta Vigo.


Tiago has been out since November but did play against Celta Vigo so should be in the squad for the Final.

Head to Head

Atletico Madrid scored late to earn a 1-1 home draw with Real Madrid in the League, but they did win 0-1 at the Santiago Bernebeu in February.


These are closely matched teams with the last four games producing a total of four goals.

Prediction

For the second time in three seasons, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid will take their city rivalry onto the European stage as they contest the Champions League Final. The philosophies of the two clubs might be at opposite spectrums, but both have been very successful with the way they want to impose their game on opponents and it will be the team that manages to do that who will win this game.

There is some revenge at play for Atletico Madrid.

Two years ago they led going into injury time of the Champions League Final before a Sergio Ramos equaliser. Diego Godin has admitted it took some time to get over that disappointment as Atletico Madrid had nothing left to give in injury time in an eventual 4-1 loss to Real Madrid.

Winning this in 90 minutes is the key for Atletico Madrid this time in Milan too. The defensive concentration and hard work is tough enough to maintain over that time, but the extra thirty minutes in extra time can prove critical as they did in 2014 and Diego Simeone might be a little more cautious with his substitutions this year.

Confidence shouldn't be an issue for Atletico Madrid who have beaten both Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the last two Rounds to reach the Final. One concern might be that they lost both away ties in that one as they won't have the passion from the Vicente Calderon stands to call upon in this one, but Atletico Madrid also got the better of Real Madrid in their two League games.

After saying all that, it is hard not to be seduced into backing Real Madrid thanks to the attacking talent at their disposal. The injury sustained by Cristiano Ronaldo is a big concern, but I can't see him missing this game and Real Madrid should be able to call upon their Portuguese superstar as well as Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale.

Those trio of players can create a moment of magic to win any game, but I think Atletico Madrid are used to dealing with them which is a huge mental advantage. Not facing them regularly could be intimidating, but Diego Simeone and his players should be completely at ease in knowing what they need to do to give themselves the best chance to win.

And Atletico Madrid do have players like Antoine Griezmann who have the potential to be a match winner too.

My feeling is that Atletico Madrid might have learned something from two seasons ago and I do think they can cause the upset in this one. They've done that in two straight Rounds and I think this can underline the superlative job that Simeone has done at the Vicente Calderon by winning the Champions League.


There will be scares and some desperate defending, but this is a team that has shown they can do that with their win at the Santiago Bernebeu in February. I do think Atletico Madrid have to win this in 90 minutes, or hope to have the energy to last to penalties, and I will back the underdogs for a small interest.



Earlier in the day on Saturday, the 'Richest Game in Football' will also be played in the Championship Play Off Final between Hull City and Sheffield Wednesday.

I think those teams are very closely matched and we could see extra time and potentially penalties in that one if I am correct in my prediction which can be found below.

Hull City v Sheffield Wednesday Pick: The Championship Play Off Final has regularly been described as the 'richest game in football', but even that tagline might have to be changed to describe the new financial rewards the Premier League will have next season.

While the players don't worry about off the field finances, there is no doubting there will be tension in this fixture as both Hull City and Sheffield Wednesday will be desperate to get back into the Premier League.

Both League games have been closely contested affairs and it is hard to see the Wembley Play Off Final being much different. Draws have been something like a Sheffield Wednesday speciality this season and I think they will make sure they are hard to beat in this one and hope to frustrate Hull City into a mistake.

Both teams have played better in front of their own fans through the last few weeks of the season and the last few Play Off Finals have proven to be tight affairs right down to the end. In fact a couple of the recent ones have needed goals in the final few minutes to decide them and I think this one is going to be very close too.

Picking a winner isn't as easy as the layers think with Hull City as a relatively strong favourite to win in ninety minutes. Personally I think we are going to need more time to separate the teams and backing the draw for a small interest is my call for the early game on Saturday prior to the Champions League Final.

MY PICK: Atletico Madrid @ 3.40 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Hull City-Sheffield Wednesday Draw @ 3.25 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Ray Wilkins- Worst... Commentator... Ever!

So how many of you watched the Real Madrid-Tottenham game on SkySports last night? Anyone else find the crazy statements made by Ray Wilkins as hilarious as I did?

Now Wilkins' stock has gone up this season after Chelsea fell to pieces after he was removed as Carlo Ancelotti's right hand man. Many believe the team fell of the rails because Wilkins was no longer in the dressing room, but personally I am of the opinion that the Chelsea team was not pulling in the same direction for other reasons.

Once Sky decided to terminate Andy Gray's contract (rightly or wrongly), it left quite a void to be filled. They have tried the boring and monosyllabic Alan Smith who talks about a 30 yard volley flying into the top corner in the same tone as a defender putting a long ball into touch.

Sam Allardyce and Glenn Hoddle have also been given a go, but the worst so far has been Ray Wilkins and his crazy ramblings during a game. Yesterday he had a few beatuies:

The constant referral to Tottenham as 'we'- not being funny with Wilkins here, but he is supposedly a Chelsea fan, a team that has an intense rivalry with Spurs. He claimed he was talking as an Englishman, but England weren't playing as far as I could tell (although the 4-0 drubbing may have had some confused into thinking it was England).

It began as an irritation, but really began to annoy me as the game went on.


'Stay on your feet'- Wilkins used this so much and so often that it was trending on Twitter last night!! I was really impressed with this advice, I could totally see what Chelsea have been missing all season(!)


'Not a handball for me'- According to the gospel that is Wilkins, Michael Dawson 'may' have raised his hands, but it wasn't a penalty... The pictures don't lie Ray.


His clear disappointment that Sergio Ramos was not booked and suspended for next week... 'the worst decision of the half'- what happened to the English fair play? I thought the English never asked for players to be booked? And to call it the worst decision of the half, take a look at the handball missed by the referee and tell me again with a straight face that this was the worst decision of the half.


'Tottenham had defended stoically in the second half'- yeah I agree Ray, they defended really well... So well in fact, that they conceded 3 more in the second half than they did in the first. And the absence of any marking on Adebayor for the 2nd goal was the perfect example of how to defend a corner.


'We can let them have corners all day'- not being funny here Ray, but Real scored their 2nd goal from a corner, so to come out with this at 4-0 down is perhaps a touch silly? Also see above.


'Tottenham deserve a goal for the way they have played all season'- now I will admit, I am a little 'old school' in thinking a performance deserves a goal when you have attacked and the keeper has made great saves or the woodwork has prevented a goal... I am less inclined to think a team deserves a goal because they have played half decent all season and performed terribly in the game in question.

Lucky for us Ray Wilkins is not the head of UEFA, else I imagine Barcelona would get a 5 goal headstart solely based on their previous performances and would win the Champions League every season!!


'Ronaldo is still playing at, what, 92 minutes... He couldn't have been that bad then'- Gareth Bale was still on at this time, yet was considered doubtful up until kick off... So why not say the same about him Ray, or are you just a touch bitter?


Usually the commentary on Sky is quite straight down the middle, with admiration for a solid team performance, whether by a European or English team... Not yesterday!!!

Ray Wilkins was ridiculously biased and by the end of the game I was worried he might be hyperventilating! The worst thing about his 'analysis' was the constant stream of bullshit coming out of his mouth.

Time for another change in the commentary booth Sky!!

Champions League Draw

So the Champions League draw took place this morning and I have spent most of the day trying to decide if I am happy with the draw from a fans' perspective and also about some of the prospective games we will see. I will break down the games as I see them in order they came out of the hat (or pot in this case).


Real Madrid v Tottenham Hotspur
Real Madrid were actually the one team that I wanted to avoid with my Manchester United hat on- I think their brand of football would actually pose many more problems than Barcelona and they are much harder to defend against. In saying all that, I actually felt Tottenham were actually the best equipped English side to give themselves a chance against the 9 time European Cup winners.

It should be a tie full of goals in both legs as we have two teams that are better going towards the opposite goal than defending the one behind them. The first leg is all important- if Spurs can come back with at least one goal and a close defeat at the very worst, they will fancy their chances of causing an upset.

However, I feel Real Madrid may end up being a little too strong and seeing themselves through to the Semi Finals.


Chelsea v Manchester United
The tie of the round is a rematch of the 2008 Champions League Final, a game that will forever be etched in the memory of a certain John Terry unless the ghosts are exorcised at Wembley in May this season.

I think it was the one draw that neither team would have wanted, and the bookies dont really know which way to turn after pricing the tie as a pick 'em. The first leg being at Stamford Bridge could be the factor that tips the tie in favour of Chelsea- I am sure Carlo Ancelotti will feel his side can go through if they can keep a clean sheet in that game and take it back to Old Trafford. Ask the Italian if he would take a 0-0 in that game now and I truly feel he would accept and take his chances in scoring what could be a crucial away goal in Manchester.

It also could favour the Blues in terms of personnel being available with United suffering a number of injuries to their defence. We have to remember the game is only a little over 2 weeks away and there is no telling what shape Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand and Rafael will be at that stage.

It looks like a tough tie to call, but I have this sneaky feeling Chelsea will come through on away goals.


Barcelona v Shakhtar
Josep Guardiola was playing an interesting brand of mind games when he suggested he did NOT want to play Shakhtar in the last 8 of this competition because he 'does not like them'. While a trip to the Ukraine is going to be tough, I am sure the Catalan giants will expect to take a comfortable lead over to that part of Europe with the first leg at the Nou Camp.

Barcelona have not travelled that well in Europe, but I dont think I am being controversial if I feel that tie could be over after the first leg, making the trip to Donetsk a moot point.


Inter Milan v Schalke
The other side teams would have been looking out for was Schalke, especially after the Germans fired Felix Magath earlier this week.

It is a testament to Schalke that they reached this stage of the competition, but they look like they may have gone as far as they can although they will not fear an Inter Milan side that looks very vulnerable at the back.

Inter were also a little fortunate to beat Bayern Munich in the last 16, but I would expect the reigning European Champions to have a little too much class and experience for Schalke, and come through the tie.


Potential Semi Finals
If the results go as I have predicted (at this moment in time), the Semi Final line up would see Inter take on Chelsea, and Real Madrid take on Barcelona.

I would then favour Chelsea and Barcelona to get through those ties respectively and meet in the Final at Wembley on May 28th.


I have had a sneaky feeling about Chelsea winning the big prize for a while now, and I think the draw has panned out in such a way that they will feel they can get to the Final and have that opportunity if they beat Manchester United.

The draw seems to favour Barcelona the most, and I truly think they will reach the Final as they avoid the 3 teams that have given them a really tough time over the last 3 seasons. Manchester United beat Barcelona 1-0 on aggregate in 2008 in the Semi Finals, Inter Milan did the same 3-2 last season, while we all should remember Didier Drogba describing the 1-1 Semi Final draw at Stamford Bridge a 'fucking disgrace' when Chelsea were clearly robbed of the game by some suspect refereeing.

The likes of Shakhtar, Real Madrid and Tottenham do not have the defensive shape and understanding that the likes of Chelsea, United and Inter all did, and so I feel Barcelona will be in London on May 28th.

While I guess Chelsea will be their opponents, I am secretly hoping to be completely wrong and the Final will actually be Manchester United beating Shakhtar Donetsk to complete another Treble.