| The Insider: UEFA Champions League final 2008 betting guide |
On Wednesday night Man Utd and Chelsea make Champions League history by being the first two teams in the competitions history to feature in an all English final. Never before have two English teams both met at this stage of the competition. In 2000, the final was an all-Spanish encounter (Real Madrid beat Valencia 3-0), while clubs from Italy played in the 2003 final (AC Milan beat Juventus on penalties).
With this in mind the level of interest in betting is expected to be huge here in the UK, with record amounts wagered on the Moscow final. If you are looking to have a punt on the Champions League final, then you need to maximise your profits and minimise your risks. With the amount of bets that the bookies will be throwing on for this titanic battle, you can definitely achieve this.
Man Utd v Chelsea
UEFA Champions League Final
Venue: Luzhniki Stadium – Moscow, Date: Wed 21 May, Kick-off: 1945 BST
Coverage: ITV1 and Sky Sports 1, BBC Radio Five Live
Man Utd have just crowned an impressive 2007/08 season by winning the Premiership title, with Chelsea finishing second, 2 points adrift. But, Sir Alex’s side have been in no mood for celebrating as they feel the job is only half done. Utd will be hoping to make it a double winning season, something they achieved in 1998/99, where as Chelsea will be looking to lift the trophy for the first time in their history.
Manager facts: Sir Alex Ferguson has been here before, guiding his team to a 2-1 visctory against Bayern Munich in 1999. He has also led Man Utd to 10 Premier League titles, including the season that has just passed. Avram Grant has won four league titles as a head coach, two with Maccabi Tel Aviv and two with Maccabi Haifa. He also guided Maccabi Tel Aviv to the Israeli Cup and to two domestic league cups. However he is yet to taste title success in Europe.
Head-to-heads: This is the 151st meeting between these clubs; Man Utd has won 65, Chelsea 41 with 44 drawn. However, Utd have recorded just one win in six league and cup meetings with Chelsea. The latest meeting of the two clubs was in April, where Chelsea were 2-1 winners.
Form players: Few people would argue that Christiano Ronaldo has had an impeccable season, scoring 41 goals in total, 7 in Champions League fixtures. He has been complimented by Rooney and Tevez, both have 4 goals so far this season. Chelsea’s form player in Europe has been the ever dependable Didier Drogba, who has scored 6 in the Champions League this season. Other players such as Cole, Lampard and Kalou have not quite hit the form that has seen them shine Europe.
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