Champion League Final – Briefings
May 23rd, 2007 . posted by admin
Champions League – Apparently there's some sort of football match taking place this evening…
After the drama of 2005, this year's Champions League final between Liverpool versus Milan is bound to be dull as ditchwater. With that in mind, we have cobbled together a few pieces of inane trivia with which to entertain your friends.
- Greek organisers will fly light aircraft above the stadium all day in an attempt to "scare off" rain clouds. No doubt there is some dubious science behind this ploy, but if you ask us (which you almost certainly won't) it sounds just a bit ridiculous.
- So much for the patriotic pound. Bookmakers are reporting a massive gamble on Milan, with five or six bets on the Italian side for every wager on Liverpool. They are 11/8 to win inside 90 minutes, with the Reds generally available at 2-1. (See below for our bet of the day)
- Jermaine Pennant looks likely to play in something of a surprise selection. But is it? The winger has played 51 games this season, more than any other Liverpool player. According to the club's official website, Xabi Alonso, Jamie Carragher, Pepe Reina and 'Steven Gerrard MBE' all have 50 appearances.
- Fans of obscure statistics could do a lot worse than to check out UEFA's official press kit. Where else could you discover that Liverpool have committed 156 fouls compared to Milan's 178, or that 30 percent of Milan's Serie A goals have come in the last 15 minutes?
Back on the domestic front – has Roman Abramovich got himself into financial straits without telling anybody? Chelsea signed Steve Sidwell on a free transfer yesterday, continuing their love affair with bargain buys. The Reading midfielder joins Michael Ballack – a Bosman transfer last summer – and Ashley Cole, who arrived in a part-exchange deal with William Gallas going the other way. Credit to Reading for the dignified way they have dealt with their best player jumping ship to the richest club in the land without a single penny coming their way.
FOREIGN VIEW: Corriere dello Sport make much of Andriy Shevchenko's visit to Athens as a guest of Milan, saying his transfer back to the club is "almost done". However, the Ukrainian has urged people not to read too much into his appearance. Fat chance.
BET OF THE DAY: The snarling Gennaro Gattuso is the 7-1 favourite to be booked first with the Milan man expected to deliver a reducer early doors. But we reckon his arch-rival Stevie G is a better bet to be the first man in referee Herbert Fandel's notebook.
First booking – Steven Gerrard – 16-1
Related Videos: European Leagues
