Chelsea vs Manchester United

The big match. The biggest and the most important match in the history of Chelsea FC. Will it be us, or will the Devils do a double this season. I'm so tensed I decided I'll write something. This pre-match post was not in my plans.

Wednesday's Uefa Champions League Final is exactly 37 years to the day Chelsea beat Real Madrid in the European Cup Winners' Cup Final replay in Piraeus, Greece to lift the first European trophy in our history. John Dempsey and Peter Osgood scored in the 2-1 victory.

For those that believe in lucky omens and all, this piece of information from the official site will be a relief. This is the first all-English European Cup final. In the two previous Champions League all-country finals, it was the side that finished lower in domestic competition, Real Madrid in 2003 and AC Milan in 2000, who ended up as champions of Europe.

Here goes something else to cheer up the fans. Same source. Sir Alex Ferguson has needed 104 games in the competition (plus six qualifying matches) to get United back to the Final since that last win in 1999. Avram Grant has achieved the Final after 11 games. Chelsea have six players who played the finals before while United have five.

Chelsea starts with Makalele instead of Mikel and lets hope his vast experience will help. And against most people's expectation, Malouda is starting instead of Kalou. This might because Malouda has performed well on European nights. Ashely Cole starts despite his injury, with painkillers to his aid. Drogba and Terry are playing and I guess their will to play fastened their recovery from injury

Manchester United is playing with the usual back four. Hargo, Carrick and Scholes line up in the midfield with Ronaldo, Tevez and Rooney upfront. Ferguson probably decided against playing Giggs maybe because Scholes and Giggs together would be too many old legs for the liking of the manager. Anderson, Nani and Giggs are in the bench, where the notable absence is Park, with Fletcher and O'Shea given a chance in bench.

The first goal today would be vital and together with its timing, it would decide the tempo of the game. Free passing game would be tough due to the condition of the pitch and there would be more direct balls. I hope Drogba is able to take advantage of such balls. The big year, the big day, the bag match, the big moment has arrived.
Come on you Blues... Kill the Devils...

Guess at the team:
Cech
Essien, Carvalho , Terry, A.Cole
Lampard, Makalele, Ballack
J.Cole, Drogba, Malouda
subs: Cudicini, Anelka, Alex, Kalou, Mikel, Shevchenko, Belletti

Referee: Lubos Michel

Scoreline prediction: 2-1 to Blues.