Liverpool and AC Milan in the Champions League Final - Bodog Betting

Well, at least we got one English club in to the Champions League Final. With 3 of the 4 semifinal teams, one would have hoped to see an all-England final. The Italians had to foul things up, as usual.

That being said, Liverpool and AC Milan have a recent history of highly entertaining matches. I expect another scintillating Champions League Final in 2007, as this is probably one of the more evenly matched finals in a while.

Here are the Bodog odds for Liverpool vs. AC Milan.

Champions League Final

AC Milan +130
Liverpool +170
Draw +200

AC MILAN VS. LIVERPOOL

AC Milan is the slight favorite in this match. The 25-year old Kaka is coming into his prime and it's time to make a statement with a Champions League title. Clarence Seedorf, Kaka and Andrea Pirlo will control the midfield, making it difficult for Liverpool to build up an attack.

I want Liverpool to win this match. I think it's criminal that AC Milan got a slap on the wrist for the match-fixing scandal. 8 point deduction? You're kidding me. If Milan hadn't been caught fixing matches before, I might understand. But this is the second time in 25 years. That's a joke.

So I'm definitely pulling for Liverpool to take the trophy, though I don't have a whole lot of faith. Going into the second match between Milan and Manchester, I was convinced that Manchester, holding a 1-0 lead after the first match, was ready to advance.

When Liverpool dropped out of 1st place contention in the English Premeir League, they began to focus on a European title. So while Manchester and Chelsea battled down to the wire in the Premeir League, Liverpool was channeling its energies to advancing in this event.

As always, Peter Crouch will present match up difficulties for the opponent. When you're 6'7", you're going to give just about any defender headaches. It all depends on Crouch battling to get position and a teammate delivering a strong cross.

THE ISTANBUL MATCH

If Liverpool is to have a chance, team captain Steven Gerrard is going to have to play lights out. Like Kaka, Gerrard is in the prime of his career. And luckily, he's pulled out miracles against Milan before.

I'm hoping for a repeat of the legendary 2005 Champions' League final between these two teams in Istanbul. The Istanbul Final saw AC Milan go up 3-0 at halftime, only to see Liverpool roar back with 3 goals in a 6 minute span to tie the match.

We can all hope the 2007 Champions League Final comes close to matching the 2005 final match. Bet AC Milan if you're going with your head, but I hope Liverpool delivers the upset.

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Liverpool and AC Milan in the Champions League Final - Bodog Betting