# Champions League final prediction



## sawtooth (May 19, 2012)

I wouldnt mind Chelski winning tonight but I cant see anything but a comfortable Bayern Munich win, 2-0


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## Dodger (May 19, 2012)

Great city,great stadium,hope Munich shaft Chelsea.


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## bigslice (May 19, 2012)

dont think chelsea deserved to get to the final but i reckon 3 - 2 chelsea


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## jpenno (May 19, 2012)

3-0 Bayern


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## bozza (May 19, 2012)

Tough one to predict, would like to see Chelsea win because they are Englisgh and i like Di Matteo but i have feeling zee Germans will sneak it.


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## FairwayDodger (May 19, 2012)

Bored now.... just not living up to the Scottish Cup final.


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## FairwayDodger (May 19, 2012)

FairwayDodger said:



			Bored now.... just not living up to the Scottish Cup final.
		
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Yay! I caused the goal!


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## connor (May 19, 2012)

chelsea have been defending well but thats all about they have been doing to be fair!  The better team on the night are winning at present..

time for torres to make a name for himself again perhaps???


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## connor (May 19, 2012)

connor said:



			chelsea have been defending well but thats all about they have been doing to be fair! The better team on the night are winning at present..

time for torres to make a name for himself again perhaps???
		
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yayi caused the next goal lol


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## RGDave (May 19, 2012)

1-1 after 90 minutes?


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## sawtooth (May 19, 2012)

Amazing, I dont know how Chelski do it. Battered for 89 mins and then pop up and score to take it into extra time.

Spuds have got to be worried now.


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## connor (May 19, 2012)

hahaha see dimatteo going mental giving his team talk lol

he only wants to win so he keeps the job


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## pokerjoke (May 19, 2012)

good game.
Cole immense until the goal.
Unbelievable header from Drogba.
Kaloo was unbelievable bad


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## connor (May 19, 2012)

penalty! stupid tackle from drogba

here comes robben haha


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## connor (May 19, 2012)

great save


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## bladeplayer (May 19, 2012)

chelsea name on cup ???????????????????????????????????????????????


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## pokerjoke (May 19, 2012)

Got to hand it to Obramavich,a true supporter,has ploughed
hundreds of millions of pounds into chelsea,and feels all the pain.
Not like the billionaires who coudnt give a dam about the football
clubs,and the history.


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## connor (May 19, 2012)

hope not as the cornish chelsea fans would be unbearable if they won it.


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## sawtooth (May 19, 2012)

bladeplayer said:



			chelsea name on cup ???????????????????????????????????????????????
		
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I would say so yes, unbelievable things going in their favour not just tonight but against Barca as well.


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## stevelev (May 19, 2012)

Come on Bayern


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## RGDave (May 19, 2012)

Time's running out....


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## connor (May 19, 2012)

i predict 4-2 on penalties to bayren


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## Dodger (May 19, 2012)

Best two in Europe?

I have seen better on a wet Wednesday in February at Fir Park.

Utter utter pish.


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## connor (May 19, 2012)

actually they might win on pens this time as JT aint there


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## FairwayDodger (May 19, 2012)

Dodger said:



			Best two in Europe?

I have seen better on a wet Wednesday in February at Fir Park.

Utter utter pish.
		
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Yeah, terrible game, real disappointment.


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## connor (May 19, 2012)

dammit drogba will put this away


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## connor (May 19, 2012)

swines!


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## In_The_Rough (May 19, 2012)

Get in there yessssssssssssssssssssssssssss


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## Dodger (May 19, 2012)

RIP football.

Worst team won.

Somebody please put Gary Neville down.


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## Iaing (May 19, 2012)

Well done Chelski.


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## In_The_Rough (May 19, 2012)

What a job Di Matteo has done and poor old Arry no Champions League for him either


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## Dodger (May 19, 2012)

Chelsea from the "Best league in the world" (copyright of Sky) and they have been anti football against how many teams from how many different leagues this season?

Everything that is wrong with football won tonight.Horrid to watch.


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## sawtooth (May 19, 2012)

I dont mind Gary Neville, hated him as a player but as pundit he speaks a lot of sense.

Jamie Redknapp is trying his best to sound pleased for Chelskii but he must be gutted about Spurs.


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## In_The_Rough (May 19, 2012)

It is all about getting the job done and Chelsea did that tonight,agreed that they were second best but how many times have the Germans won this way grinding out results? Just need Pratini to get the trophy handed over now and JT to lift it priceless


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## Kellfire (May 19, 2012)

Dodger said:



			Everything that is wrong with football won tonight.Horrid to watch.
		
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Wrong!

You are an idiot if you expect football teams to set out to enterain you, the ignorant masses, anymore. Too much is at stake.

The only thing that matters is the win. Whoever gets that deserves it.


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## Dodger (May 19, 2012)

Kellfire said:



			Wrong!

You are an idiot if you expect football teams to set out to enterain you, the ignorant masses, anymore. Too much is at stake.

The only thing that matters is the win. Whoever gets that deserves it.
		
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I pity you if you enjoyed watching the show Chelsea put on tonight,I really do.


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## Kellfire (May 19, 2012)

Dodger said:



			I pity you if you enjoyed watching the show Chelsea put on tonight,I really do.
		
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You've completely missed my point. It isn't Chelsea's job to entertain me. Or you. Or anyone.


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## In_The_Rough (May 19, 2012)

Dodger said:



			I pity you if you enjoyed watching the show Chelsea put on tonight,I really do.
		
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Dont think he enjoyed watching it and neither did I apart from the result. As Kell said it is a results Business now, the days when it was for entertainment purposes are long gone and results take preference over performances and the entertainment of the general public. Italy and Germany have masters at it for decades nowt new really.


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## Dodger (May 19, 2012)

If you knock out Barca losing neither game and then beat Bayern on Penalties in their own back yard it's hard to say it's undeserved but it doesn't mean it isn't a sad night for football.

It's always the right of the weak to defend but when you have a team worth hundreds of millions knowing that's the only way they can win then that's a crying shame and it's also utterly dreadful to witness.


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## Dodger (May 19, 2012)

And surely the owner could afford something better than a threadbare cardigan??


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## Kellfire (May 19, 2012)

Dodger said:



			If you knock out Barca losing neither game and then beat Bayern on Penalties in their own back yard it's hard to say it's undeserved but it doesn't mean it isn't a sad night for football.

It's always the right of the weak to defend but when you have a team worth hundreds of millions knowing that's the only way they can win then that's a crying shame and it's also utterly dreadful to witness.
		
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Why is being better in attack better than being better in defence?

Are you really so blinkered in football?


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## BeachGolfer (May 19, 2012)

Most satisfying part of this evenings entertainment? Seeing that ? Platini handing over that massive pot to a British team.


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## Dodger (May 19, 2012)

Kellfire said:



			Why is being better in attack better than being better in defence?

Are you really so blinkered in football?
		
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That's up to you if that's what rocks your boat but you are in a very small minority.

Awful to watch,fact.


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## In_The_Rough (May 19, 2012)

Sometimes you have to win ugly, Man Utd have been Masters at it, Italian and German teams have been at it for years so hats off I say. Great to get and English teams name on the trophy again and a new one at that. Off to pour another Beer now and watch the highlights. Cheers and a safe journey home to all the CFC fans in Munich and best wishes to Arry


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## Kellfire (May 19, 2012)

Dodger said:



			That's up to you if that's what rocks your boat but you are in a very small minority.

Awful to watch,fact.
		
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Ask a Bayern fan if, until Drogba scored, that was a bad match to watch.


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## Dodger (May 19, 2012)

Kellfire said:



			Ask a Bayern fan if, until Drogba scored, that was a bad match to watch.
		
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Did you actually watch the game or are you on the wind up??

There was only one team trying to win it and it wasn't the team in blue.It was a poor poor game and the winners had a massive part to play in it.

Personally I couldn't watch a team play like that but hey their brand of football has won the prize,possibly the worst team to watch over the seasons comp to have won the big cup but they do have it.


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## Kellfire (May 19, 2012)

Dodger said:



			Did you actually watch the game or are you on the wind up??

There was only one team trying to win it and it wasn't the team in blue.It was a poor poor game and the winners had a massive part to play in it.

Personally I couldn't watch a team play like that but hey their brand of football has won the prize,possibly the worst team to watch over the seasons comp to have won the big cup but they do have it.
		
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You really don't understand football at all, do you?


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## Stuart_C (May 19, 2012)

To a certain extent I agree with dodger but if you play good football and get. knocked out in the quarters every year like arsenal then I can't see the point of being in that competition. 

Sometimes you do have to be defensive and get the result by stifling the better side that's tactics.

Chelsea have knocked out some good sides this season to get to the final but the antics of drogba in the 1st leg against barca leaves a very sour taste on this victory.


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## Dodger (May 19, 2012)

Kellfire said:



			You really don't understand football at all, do you?
		
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Yes,thanks.

Funnily enough I was just thinking you are clearly not the most educated when it comes to the game.


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## AuburnWarrior (May 19, 2012)

I think it's worth noting that this wasn't Chelsea's strongest team and three of the back four were carrying injuries so Chelsea were never going to go hell for leather.
I don't think it helped that it was 0-0 until the 80th minute.  I reckon it would have been a good game if one of the teams had scored in the first half.  At 1-1 I thought it became a fairly attacking game considering what's at stake.
Also, much has been said about Drogba but I thought he played well tonight (bar the penalty..... )


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## Kellfire (May 19, 2012)

Dodger said:



			Yes,thanks.

Funnily enough I was just thinking you are clearly not the most educated when it comes to the game.
		
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You're the one suggesting that winning isn't the most important thing. Well in.


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## Dodger (May 19, 2012)

Stuart_C said:



			To a certain extent I agree with dodger but if you play good football and get. knocked out in the quarters every year like arsenal then I can't see the point of being in that competition. 

Sometimes you do have to be defensive and get the result by stifling the better side that's tactics.

Chelsea have knocked out some good sides this season to get to the final but the antics of drogba in the 1st leg against barca leaves a very sour taste on this victory.
		
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I aint questioning the tactics,I'm questioning the need for them,team worth millions yet chose to park a bus and in doing that they made for a bloody awful game to watch.....again.

Re Drogba Stuart,it puzzles me why the pundits pull their chains over him....a bigger cheat on a football pitch you will struggle to find yet they love him.


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## Dodger (May 19, 2012)

AuburnWarrior said:



			I think it's worth noting that this wasn't Chelsea's strongest team and three of the back four were carrying injuries so Chelsea were never going to go hell for leather.
I don't think it helped that it was 0-0 until the 80th minute.  I reckon it would have been a good game if one of the teams had scored in the first half.  At 1-1 I thought it became a fairly attacking game considering what's at stake.
Also, much has been said about Drogba but I thought he played well tonight (bar the penalty..... )
		
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And the hosts had a depleted team too don't forget.


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## Kellfire (May 19, 2012)

Dodger said:



			a bigger cheat on a football pitch you will struggle to find yet they love him.

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How many Bayern players claimed throw ins or corners they knew weren't theirs tonight?

Every one is a cheat.

You are such a typical, cookie cutter football fan.


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## Neddy (May 19, 2012)

Have to agree with Kellfire.

There is no "right" way to play football, as long as you play within the rules of course. Some teams play like Chelsea, some like Stoke, some like Barcelona. Most somewhere in between. Variety is the spice of life and all that.

Chelsea did go into the game with a defensive mentality. It was up to Bayern to break them down, which in fact they did reasonably successfully. But they were wasteful and have only themselves to blame for not winning IMO.

I actually agree with Dodger in that I don't think Chelsea needed to play that way against Bayern. They are good, bot not so good they demanded that much respect.


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## AxelBenito (May 19, 2012)

I am a Chelsea fan and didn't think we'd get past Napoli. I don't care if we didn't entertain some people, doesn't matter how you win it.


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## Dodger (May 19, 2012)

Kellfire said:



			How many Bayern players claimed throw ins or corners they knew weren't theirs tonight?

Every one is a cheat.

You are such a typical, cookie cutter football fan.
		
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You obviously struggle to read,try it instead of reading what you want to.

I know each and every player is a cheat but you'll struggle to find a BIGGER one than Drogba.


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## Stuart_C (May 19, 2012)

Dodger said:



			I aint questioning the tactics,I'm questioning the need for them,team worth millions yet chose to park a bus and in doing that they made for a bloody awful game to watch.....again.

Re Drogba Stuart,it puzzles me why the pundits pull their chains over him....a bigger cheat on a football pitch you will struggle to find yet they love him.

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Unfortunately the best team doesn't always win and I've witnessed this a few times this season.

Drogba when he 1st came to chelsea was superb though his diving and his blatant admittance to it on MOTD only to use the "I didn't understand the question" excuse turned a lot of people against him. Andy Gray used to cream himself whenever he's was commentating on chelsea games at sky.

I don't get it myself like.

Bayern had more than enough chances to put that game to bed.


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## sawtooth (May 19, 2012)

Chelski did all they could do. If they tried to play football they would have lost 5 nil.

They ground out a result and certainly rode their luck, a carbon copy of the Barca games in that respect. 

Nobody can claim that the best team won tonight but at the end of the day - who cares. They won and thats all that matters. I hope Wenger was watching tonight and took notes on how to win ugly.

There is definitely a lesson to be learned from Chelsea's success.


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## Kellfire (May 19, 2012)

sawtooth said:



			Nobody can claim that the best team won tonight but at the end of the day
		
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Yes, they can. Football is NOT all about attacking.


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## bozza (May 19, 2012)

Dodger can i ask you a question?

If your team had just done what Chelsea had done would you not be happy?

Yes they were poor but they found a way to win when the odds were stacked against them.

It wasn't pretty but at the end of the day it won them 2 cups which is what will show in the history books.

By the way i'm not a Chelsea fan but i'd much rather see a English team win than zee Germans.


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## Stuart_C (May 19, 2012)

Kellfire said:



			Yes, they can. Football is NOT all about attacking.
		
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Kell, how would you describe the best team?

Some of Munich's play tonight was superb tonight and at times it was wave after wave for them but when chelsea tried to play good passing football  they looked very dangerous. They just didn't do it enough.

1st corner they got after 86mins they scored from.


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## Kellfire (May 19, 2012)

Stuart_C said:



			Kell, how would you describe the best team?
		
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The team that wins, providing no major refereeing decisions go wrong to cost the game for one team or the other.

Why?

Do you think a team should be able to lose on goals but be awarded the game on performance? :/


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## Stuart_C (May 19, 2012)

Kellfire said:



			The team that wins, providing no major refereeing decisions go wrong to cost the game for one team or the other.

Why?

Do you think a team should be able to lose on goals but be awarded the game on performance? :/
		
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No I don't, I just don't think you could class chelsea as being the better team tonight just because they won.

They put in a very good shift and took their penalties well that's about it.

The better team doesn't always win that's football.


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## bozza (May 20, 2012)

I can see Kellfire's argument here.

Yes Bayern attacked more, had more possesion and more shots on goal but like he says football is not just about attacking.

Chelsea knew with the team they had they couldn't go all out and attack them, just like when they played Barcelona.

It's not pretty football but at the end of the day it got the job done and they have there name on the trophy.


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## MegaSteve (May 20, 2012)

Not the greatest of matches... I particularly dislike penalty shootouts...

But a great result... Anytime a PL team wins in Europe is OK by me...

Front wheel skids condemned to ITV of a Thursday... Perfect!

Oh... And no surprise Dodger can't find a good word for the winners...


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## Stuart_C (May 20, 2012)

bozza said:



			I can see Kellfire's argument here.

Yes Bayern attacked more, had more possesion and more shots on goal but like he says football is not just about attacking.

Chelsea knew with the team they had they couldn't go all out and attack them, just like when they played Barcelona.

It's not pretty football but at the end of the day it got the job done and they have there name on the trophy.
		
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So can i, I still don't agree with him though.

Especially as this game was won on pens and let's be honest pens are a lottery.

I'm not trying to put chelsea's victory down  though they seen the job through.


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## Liverbirdie (May 20, 2012)

Lets face it when you win a European cup, especially your first, your not going to be bothered how you do it. At that stage it's the result that counts. Man U got whacked by Bayern in 1999, but it is one of man U's most famous nights, because of the last 5 minutes.

Dodger's right that a squad that has cost 500 mill to put together, should be a better advert for football than that. The thing with Chelsea over the last 7-8 years is that they can play lovely football at home, but they can also go route one for most of the match, especially away from home, due to Drogba's strength and aerial ability.

This is where Wenger suffers, as he only has plan A, and that only ever gets them to the Q/F's normally. Arsenal will batter teams in the group stages and get some high scores, but go out in the Q/F's most seasons.

Most cheats are the stature of Robben,Suarez,Ribbery which makes it even worse when Drogba and Van nistelrooy go down so easy, when they are so strong when they want to be.

I didn't want Chelsea to win, but congrats to their decent and long serving fans,just not to those horrible ones who spoiled the wembley minutes silence and the bandwagonners. They used to be the most loyal,loudest, best travelling london away fans in the 80's, but sadly most of their fans are no longer of this standard.

They have rode lots of luck getting there (Barca home and away, and tonight), but they have also showed lots of Character against Valencia, napoli at home and also the Barca games to see it through.


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## Chrimbo (May 20, 2012)

Chelsea played for penalties from the tenth minute ............. but it won them the champions league and that's all that matters to the team and the fans ........ 

However it's not the 'beautiful football' Roman Abramovich seeks so expect some major changes in the summer.


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## arnieboy (May 20, 2012)

Good shout Liverbirdie. As a Laner I didn't particularly want Chelski to win but the longer it went on, the more the Bayern strikers couldn't hit a barn door, it just felt like Chelski were going to nick the goal back. Lucky? So what!


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## sawtooth (May 20, 2012)

Kellfire said:



			Yes, they can. Football is NOT all about attacking.
		
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Sure but great teams defend and attack in equal measures. Chelski parked the bus, invited pressure and rode their luck.

I'm not disputing that winning is not the most important thing but I cant agree that Chelski were the better team on the night.

Put it another way, if it was a boxing match Bayern would have been awarded every round.

But well done to Chelsea they are the champions.


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## GB72 (May 20, 2012)

To keep with the boxing analogy, there is little point in winning every round if you then get felled with a knockout punch in the dying seconds.

Part of the issue may be the venue. All Chelsea did was play in the way that alot of teams do in the away leg of the knockout stages, focus on defence and try and nick an away goal. It was a massive disadvantage to be playing on Munich's home ground and there may be an argument for the CL final to be played in National stadiums only to ensure a neutral venue.

Whilst I cannot applaud the way in which Chelsea went out to play, it was not surprising given the position that they were in and the players that they had available. Yes they rode their luck but surely it is down to the 'better' footballing side to break down the defensive effort as the top teams in any league have to do against lower and mid table opposition on a weekly basis when their aim is simply to try not to lose.


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## MegaSteve (May 20, 2012)

GB72 said:



			there may be an argument for the CL final to be played in National stadiums only to ensure a neutral venue.
		
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My thoughts exactly or at least have an alternative venue in place should the 'home side' win through to the final... 

As the 'away side' part of the reason why Chelsea adopted their win ugly approach maybe...


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## SS2 (May 20, 2012)

Compare and contrast the Bayern-Chelsea game with the fantastic final in the Heineken cup at Twickenham. Rugby of a very high standard and also a great refereeing performance.


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## garyinderry (May 20, 2012)

im with dodger. chelsea are a bore to watch. awful team! rubbish football. i can see past that when we are talking about minnows in the f.a cup but playing like that to win a european cup just plain stinks. when you think of the money they have spent its just awful.

yes dodger, another sad day for football when another team plays like that to win footballs top club prize. bring back replays. that would force a team to play.


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## birdieman (May 20, 2012)

I loved the game, CL finals are rarely classics as the prize at stake is too big. Chelsea are European champions and in 5 or 10 year when people look back no-one is going to say it was a poor game, what will be remembered is Drogba's header which was fantastic and his penalty and Robben/Schweinsteiger's misses.

My only disappointment was that the presentation wasn't on the pitch with the platform and all the streamers and stuff you expect.

CL final is back at Wembley next year as UEFA reckon they've done it better than anyone to date, that is a plus for English sides. Can't see a Chelsea repeat but Man City could do it.


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## pokerjoke (May 20, 2012)

Well done Chelsea,thats what i say.
Forget about the football and the quality of football,Chelseas name
is on the cup.
Nobody gave them a hope against Barcelona,and a lot thought they had
no chance against Bayern because Bayern were at home.
As for Drogba being a cheat,yes he can be and it Pees me off that
someone that strong can fall over so easy.
It just goes to show he can stay on his feet if he wants to,he never fell
over once last night.
But surely we dont want the Germans to win,unless your Scottish.
Well done Chelsea and especially Di Matteo has turned Chelseas ageing
stars into winners.
Obramavich wanted the champions league,now hes got it he should
reward Di Matteo with a contract.


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## GB72 (May 20, 2012)

That is one thing that I found a bit odd. Those in charge at Chelsea were all very evasive about the Di Matteo issue last night and today. You cannot tell me that there have not been discussions about whether to appoint him if they won but nobody was willing to go further than 'that is an issue for another day'. Certainly you would have thought that someone would made the evening even better for the manager by saying that the job was his.

I really think that he is not going to get the job and a 'big name' will be appointed or if he does get it then it will be because others have said no.


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## Liverbirdie (May 20, 2012)

MegaSteve said:



			My thoughts exactly or at least have an alternative venue in place should the 'home side' win through to the final... 

As the 'away side' part of the reason why Chelsea adopted their win ugly approach maybe...
		
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UEFA said that they wouldn't allow it again, after the final in Roma's own ground in 1984. As long as the UEFA delegates get their free tickets and their flights etc, they aren't bothered.


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## CrapHacker18 (May 21, 2012)

Well, I'm an Arsenal fan. I was as unbiased as it's possible to be, coz either result was bad for me.

As it happens I thought Chelsea were outstanding.

All this guff about attacking football is the only football worth watching just proves how lazy the modern football fan has become.

Football has two phases. When you have the ball, and when you don't.

At the beginning of the game, Chelsea had virtually zero possession, and therefore couldn't be expected to shown much attacking acumen.

As the game progressed, Chelsea looked more and more threatening on the counter attack. The team as a whole played great, but I think special note should go to

A) Cole. An absolute tosser, but he played brilliantly on the night.
B) Drogba. Led the line tirelessly. His goal was unstoppable. But for me, the best sign was in the 76th minute. Cole made an attacking run, but the move broke down. The ball was played over the top into the vacant space where Cole should have been. Dogba made the 60 yard run, tracking back to help out the defense, and preventing any danger (For those of you that don't understand, that is called 'good football')
C) Lampard. Has finally accepted his new role, and was outstanding. Making himself available, and rarely missing a pass. He made sure that once Chelsea managed to win back possession, they kept it for as long as possible.
D) Mata. Again, once Chelsea started winning even a little possession, Mata looked very dangerous on the break. Boy, should he have gone to Arsenal, or what.

But apart from them there were loads of good performances:
Cech was at his best for years.
Bosingwa is a player with many critics. He was rarely out of position, and definitely played his part.
Luiz didn't do anything stupid. Which means he played well (It's usually, Luiz played well, except....)
Cahill is now our first choice starter for the Euros
Bertrand did exactly what he was asked.

If you only enjoy watching easy victories, go and watch Celtic next season. 

This wasn't that game. This was a competitive, combative game.

And Chelsea deserved to win.

:clap:


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## CrapHacker18 (May 21, 2012)

GB72 said:



			Certainly you would have thought that someone would made the evening even better for the manager by saying that the job was his.
		
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Unless, of course, the job isn't... 

I don't think Abramovich had any intention of giving him the job up until that final penalty.

Hopefully the emotion might get to him, and he'll reconsider. After all, he's done the one thing that no other manager has manged to do. Including 'The Great One'.

:thup:


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## Liverbirdie (May 21, 2012)

Craphacker, I agree with a lot of that, but I thought Mata was pretty anonymous for 80 minutes. Cech and Cole were outstanding.

Chelsea were not the better team, they didn't even defend brilliantly, as Bayern missed the target on loads of their chances or Cech made some saves. Resolute yes, but the better team, no way.


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## Aztecs27 (May 21, 2012)

CrapHacker18 said:



			Well, I'm an Arsenal fan. I was as unbiased as it's possible to be, coz either result was bad for me.

As it happens I thought Chelsea were outstanding.

All this guff about attacking football is the only football worth watching just proves how lazy the modern football fan has become.

Football has two phases. When you have the ball, and when you don't.

At the beginning of the game, Chelsea had virtually zero possession, and therefore couldn't be expected to shown much attacking acumen.

As the game progressed, Chelsea looked more and more threatening on the counter attack. The team as a whole played great, but I think special note should go to

A) Cole. An absolute tosser, but he played brilliantly on the night.
B) Drogba. Led the line tirelessly. His goal was unstoppable. But for me, the best sign was in the 76th minute. Cole made an attacking run, but the move broke down. The ball was played over the top into the vacant space where Cole should have been. Dogba made the 60 yard run, tracking back to help out the defense, and preventing any danger (For those of you that don't understand, that is called 'good football')
C) Lampard. Has finally accepted his new role, and was outstanding. Making himself available, and rarely missing a pass. He made sure that once Chelsea managed to win back possession, they kept it for as long as possible.
D) Mata. Again, once Chelsea started winning even a little possession, Mata looked very dangerous on the break. Boy, should he have gone to Arsenal, or what.

But apart from them there were loads of good performances:
Cech was at his best for years.
Bosingwa is a player with many critics. He was rarely out of position, and definitely played his part.
Luiz didn't do anything stupid. Which means he played well (It's usually, Luiz played well, except....)
Cahill is now our first choice starter for the Euros
Bertrand did exactly what he was asked.

If you only enjoy watching easy victories, go and watch Celtic next season. 

This wasn't that game. This was a competitive, combative game.

And Chelsea deserved to win.

:clap:
		
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Can't argue with any of that, with the exception of the Mata comment. He's deadly....until he has the ball. Then he loses possession almost as quickly as he gained it.

Did anyone see Cashley's post match interview. The guy has absolutely ZERO class and despite actually not being a bad left back, is EVERYTHING that is wrong with football.

Drogba, for all his diving, moaning and general acting, stepped up when it mattered most and played the most complete game of football I've seen him play. That 60 yard track back to cover Cashley's space was awesome.


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## CrapHacker18 (May 21, 2012)

Liverbirdie said:



			Craphacker, I agree with a lot of that, but I thought Mata was pretty anonymous for 80 minutes. Cech and Cole were outstanding.

Chelsea were not the better team, they didn't even defend brilliantly, as Bayern missed the target on loads of their chances or Cech made some saves. Resolute yes, but the better team, no way.
		
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This is where we all have our different definitions  

I thought Mata had a slow start, but I thought he was a great outlet throughout the second half.

IMO Bayern missed the target because of the pressure they were put under. If Chelsea had given them longer to line up their shots, Bayern would have scored. IE Chelsea's defending was better than Bayern's attacking. 

And Chelsea's attacking was definitely better than Bayern's defending (scoring from the first corner they had in the 88th minute).

So on balance, on the night, IMO, Chelsea played the better football. That's football in it's fullest sense, not just in the attacking sense.

And the way that Drogba, often the laziest git on the park, was willing to track back in the 76th minute to cover Cole, says to me that the teamwork that Di Matteo has instilled, means they were the better team as well.

Like I say, if you define 'better' differently to me, you will get a different answer. 



Robben was the most skillful player on show. I was a little disappointed with Ribery at times, although he had a couple of 'nearly great' moments. Gomez just looked wrong all night. Muller was a bit lucky with his header - he knocked it down, all right, but probably a bit more 'down' than he intended.

And when we the last time an English club beat a German club on penalties?


That'll do me, nicely

:thup:


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## CrapHacker18 (May 21, 2012)

Aztecs27 said:



			Can't argue with any of that, with the exception of the Mata comment. He's deadly....until he has the ball. Then he loses possession almost as quickly as he gained it.
		
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He's a darn sight better than any attacking midfielder we (Arsenal) have got atm.

He might not be the very best, but I'd still have him.

Unless, of course, we manage to grab Kagawa, or maybe Michu. Or that bloke that plays for the local pub team. Or some unheard of cheap German kiddy that suffers from broken ankles every two years - oh, hang on. We've already got him.


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