The Athens Olympic Stadium - otherwise known as the OACA Spyro Louis Stadium - is the setting for this showdown between two of the continent's most successful clubs and for a Milan team plotting revenge, the choice of venue may be considered a lucky one. It was here, after all, that the Rossoneri beat FC Barcelona 4-0 in the 1994 UEFA Champions League final.
Between them, Milan and Liverpool have won eleven of the 51 previous editions of the European Champion Clubs' Cup. For Milan victory would bring their seventh European crown while Liverpool can make it six. Real Madrid CF are the most successful team with nine triumphs.
Milan are contesting their eleventh final and previously lifted the European Cup in 1963, 1969, 1989, 1990, 1994 and 2003. The Rossoneri were runners-up in 1958, 1993, 1995 and 2005. Only Madrid have appeared in more finals (12).
This is Liverpool's seventh European Cup final and their five successes were in 1977, 1978, 1981, 1984 and 2005. Their sole losing final appearance came in 1985.
Every time Liverpool have lifted the cup they have worn their home colours and beaten opponents wearing white. Although Milan were in white in Istanbul, they still regard the colour as lucky after five previous triumphs wearing their change strip in 1963, 1989, 1990, 1994 and 2003.
On an individual level, Milan's Paolo Maldini could claim his fifth winners' medal following victories with the Rossoneri in 1989, 1990, 1994 and 2003. He will be one of only three players in history to have enjoyed more success in the competition: the Real Madrid CF legend has six wins to his name while former colleagues Alfredo di Stéfano and José María Zárraga have five each.
If Maldini has followed his father Cesare in winning the European Cup with Milan, Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina is aiming to go one better than his own father, Miguel, who finished on the losing side with Club Atlético de Madrid in their 1974 final against FC Bayern München.
Both Ancelotti and Benítez have led their teams to this trophy once before, Ancelotti in 2003 and Benítez in 2005. In the Milan coach's case he is one of only five men to have lifted the European Cup as both a player and manager, following three triumphs with Milan in his playing days.
Clarence Seedorf is the only player to have won the competition with three different clubs: AFC Ajax (1995), Real Madrid (1998) and Milan (2003).
Greece has proved a happy hunting ground for Milan in the two previous finals they have contested here. It was in Thessaloniki that the Rossoneri defeated another English side, Leeds United AFC, in the 1972/73 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final, Luciano Chiarugi scoing the only goal after four minutes.
The OACA Spyro Louis Stadium, meanwhile was the setting for their 4-0 UEFA Champions League final triumph on 18 May 1994 against a Barcelona 'Dream Team' stunned by goals from Daniele Massaro (2), Dejan Savićević and Marcel Desailly. However, it was at this same stadium earlier this season that Milan suffered their first defeat on Greek soil, going down 1-0 to AEK Athens FC in the group stage.
Liverpool, for their part, have positive memories of their previous two visits to the final venue, winning 1-0 at Panathinaikos FC to secure a 5-0 aggregate success in the 1984/85 European Cup semi-final and then drawing 2-2 against Olympiacos CFP en route to a third-round success in the 2000/01 UEFA Cup – a competition they went on to win.
Milan's record against English teams reads nine wins, seven draws and eight defeats from 24 matches. They have played two previous UEFA finals against opposition from England, defeating Leeds to win the Cup Winners' Cup in 1973 but losing to Liverpool in Istanbul.
Liverpool have won seven and lost seven of their 16 previous encounters with Italian opposition.
They have contested three previous UEFA finals against Serie A sides and won two of them. Besides beating Milan in Istanbul, they defeated AS Roma 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the 1983/84 European Cup final in Rome. However, they lost 1-0 to Juventus in the final in Brussels the following season.
Overall there have been five Anglo-Italian UEFA competition finals and the score reads 3-2 in favour of England.
This is the fifth time that two former final opponents have met again and for Milan the third time they have faced such a rematch.
German official Herbert Fandel will referee Wednesday's game in the Olympic Stadium.
Fandel, 43, has been in charge of three of Liverpool's Champions League matches - the last being the 1-0 defeat by Barcelona at Anfield in March - and he has handled five Milan matches in the European Cup. Carsten Kadach and Volker Wezel are assistant referees, with Florian Meyer the fourth official.
Source: uefa.com
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment