Champions League Final

Manchester United vs Chelsea

It's the biggest game in club football (soccer) and I'm going to try to blog it live. Because of my bets this evening I'm a Red Devil for the night.

7:30
Draw 1-1 & Drogba first goal @ 30/1
Man Utd win in Extra Time @ 8/1
Last Goal scored by Ronaldo @ 5/1

Lots of talk about the pitch which was only laid a few days ago, it doesn't look too bad but I'm sure the 50-odd dancers prancing about on it pre-match isn't going to help ! Stadiums with running tracks round the pitch usually have a bit of a weak atmosphere compared to pitchside seating. Shouldn't be the case tonight though, in such a big game.

7:40

Teams are out and no-one touched the cup on the way out to jinx themselves.

7:45

Utd kick the game off

7:50

Nervy start by both teams, to be expected in the first 5 mins. Ronaldo starting on the left, Rooney right with Tevez suppoting in the middle at the moment. Nice to see Utd line up attacking as they did for most of their league games rather than defensively like they did for a lot of their Euro ties

7:56

Good tackle by Ferdinand to win the ball before Drogba can get to it, Drogba skips over the tackle and DOESNT DIVE ! (first time for everything?)

8:00

Ashley Cole changes his boots, after 15 mins it looks like chelsea are set up to stifle the midfield with 5 there and 1 up front. Ronaldo's done his first step over, seems to be warming to the game.

8:05

Manchester Utd corner, cleared off the head of Malouda for a throw

8:06

Scholes' head connects with Makelele's shoulder in a 50/50 and blood poors from his nose which could well be broken. Looks like both players got booked there. Scholes off the pitch for treatment and Utd down to ten men for a minute.

8:08

Chelsea corner, skims off the head of Terry and goes for goal kick.

8:09

Scholes is back on the field, nose plastered and looking painful

8:11

GOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL !!!!!

Ronaldo scores with a perfect header at the far post from Brown's cross !

8:15

Chelsea have to come out and play now... we have a football match :o)

8:18

Just two of my bets still live
Man Utd win in Extra Time @ 8/1
Last Goal scored by Ronaldo @ 5/1

Ronaldo's confidence visibly sky high after scoring.
Ballack header on goal, Van Der Sar saves but he does look a bit nervy

8:19

Brilliant football on the counter from Utd, Rooney plays in Ronaldo with a cross pitch ball, crossed to Tevez who heads on goal and Cech makes a great save

8:26

Chelsea have a few minutes of sustained possession
Utd break again and Tevez just misses a chance to slide in on the ball, it was a gift of a chance if he'd gambled.

Yellow card for Ferdinand on the edge of Utd's Pen area. Free Kick. Can Chelsea draw level before half time ?

No. Ballack hits it over. Utd still looking far the better team.

8:30

GOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL !!!!!

WTF was that ?! Essien hits a speculative effort from way out, it ricochets off Vidic then Ferdinand and lands right in Frank Lampards path for him to slot home. Chelsea scrap an equalizer against the run of play.

8:34

Carvalho gets booked for leaving his foot in on Ronaldo's shin. Chelsea players surround the ref protesting his innocence

8:35

1-1 Half Time
Man Utd win in Extra Time @ 8/1
Last Goal scored by Ronaldo @ 5/1

Two bets still live and my prediction from yesterday still in shape
Utd have been the better team but we're back to square one now. The pitch has held up and the balls moving nicely across the surface, there'll be no excuses after the game. I'm in the money in my 180 tourney too :o)

8:50

Chelsea kick off the second half, game on. I lose half my stack in my tourney with AJ vs a guy who cant fold the hammer preflop in his BB. Then bust 14th when I push 88 and the same guy calls with A9 off and I flop trips but he runner runner flushes me.

8:58

Chelsea are doing much better in the midfield battle this half, but Utd still playing the better football

9:00

Chelsea turning the tide, good cross cleared by Vidic. Drogba heads the resulting corner over. The blues are having a lot more possession and its beginning to open up the play. Every time Chelsea shoot Van Der Sar looks shaky.

Lampard drives forward, and another Chelsea corner, which is cleared by Utd.

9:06

Utd are having to withstand heavy pressure. Chelsea firing on all cylinders now.
Man U have gone out to 4.5 on betfair... have to keep an eye on that one, if it reaches 6+ I might put some more money down.

9:08

Drogba claps the linesman for giving him a free kick (incorrectly), Lampard takes and Utd clear again.
Lampard shoots and it goes for yet another blue corner. Utd clear again.

9:11

Another blue corner. Will this be the one ?

No, Utd clear again. Surely time for a substitution ? Ferdinand goes down with what looks like cramp.

9:15

Ferdinand's playing on, but seems still worried about his leg. Carrick has a shot for Utd which deflects for a corner. Makelele is dragged down in the box by Tevez and appears to have hurt his face. Ref didn't see it so no card for Tevez. Hargreaves puts the corner in but there's a foul on the keeper. Goal Kick.

9:17

Ronaldo wins a corner for Utd, a wrong decision by the ref but it goes long anyway and out of play. Ferguson signals to his players from the bench to make some adjustments to the formation. 15 minutes of normal time remaining.

9:19

Malouda DIVES in the area ! No Penalty.

9:21

Drogba hits the woodwork from way out ! Almost but no cigar !

9:24

Utd @ 6.2 to win in the next 10 mins, I've put a tenner on it.

Ballack skies one. For all their possession, all Chelsea shots in the second half have been from outside the area, and apart from Drogba's excellent strike they've been pretty speculative shots.

9:27

Giggs is warming up on the touchline.

9:28

Chelsea freekick from the right, finds Drogba at the near post but he can't turn it inside and smashes wide. 5 mins left of normal time.

9:30

Ryan Giggs on for Scholes, it's Giggs' 759th appearance in a Man U shirt, a new record.

9:36

Full time. 1 - 1. As forecast by me yesterday ! Now we just need Utd to kick it up a gear and Ronaldo to score the winner. Extra time coming up next...

9:41

Chelsea kick off the first half of extra time.

9:43

Kalou on for Malouda. I've just switched over onto the HD channel (they lost sound earlier) you can see now that actually the pitch is getting pretty torn up, divets and you can clearly see the patchwork of turf they've laid.

9:45

Lampard spins like a ballerina in the area and pings a brilliant snap shot against the crossbar ! What a chance !

9:49

Chelski win another corner... and again it comes to nothing.
Slacker Nic Anelka comes on for Joe Cole.

9:51

John Terry saves a certain goal from Giggs with a defensive header, the keeper was no-where to be seen. Terry's neck twisted improbably to clear that one !
Rooney off for Nani.

9:53

Man Utd appear to be in the ascendency now.

9:56

Chelsea win a free kick and the clearance results in another corner. Carvalho leaps to get his head to the ball but the chance goes wide.

9:59

Half time in extra time. 15 minutes to find a hero or its going to pens.

10:00

Utd kick off the final 15 mins.

10:04

It's started to rain, odds on someone slipping when they take a pen ?!

10:05

Vidic brings down Anelka who does a brilliant mid-air forward roll. Vidic booked and Drogba lining up the free kick. Drog smashes it but it goes wide and he gets all petulant about it.

10:07

Ronaldo drives forward and is bullied off the ball by two chelsea players. No freekick, though it looked like it should have been. Everyones getting cramp now. 7 minutes left.

10:09

Chelsea cause a handbags fracas because Tevez did exactly what they did earlier and didnt kick the ball back. DROGBA RED CARD for reaching into Vidic's face during the melee. Chelsea have done this all season, it's nothing less than they deserve for they way they've hounded officials and bitched about decisions. I presume Drog will be saying that wasn't his fault either !

Looks like Tevez and Lampard got yellow carded in the same incident.

10:15

The rain is chucking it down. Come on United !

10:16

Ashley Cole and Nani clash heads in the Chelsea area. They both go down and everyone gets another rest for those tired legs.

10:18

Ronaldo cross for Tevez but he can't make good contact with his head and the ball goes wide. Juliano Belletti on for the pens, Anderson on for Wes Brown for Utd.

10:19

Full Time in Extra Time. Penalties. Squeaky bum time.

10:24

Here we go then. Utd win the toss and elect to have first crack.

It's Tevez first up... and he slots it nicely sending Cech the wrong way.


Ballack first for Chelski... places it to V-D-S's right and scores


Carrick for UTD. Scores sending Cech the wrong way again.


Belletti for Chelski, hasn't had a touch yet. But he scores with a well placed shot.


Chris Ronaldo... and Cech saves it !


Lampard for Chelsea, and he scores. VDS looks really weak tonight in goal.


Hargreaves for UTD, scores a great pen in the top left corner.


Ash Cole for Chelski, I predict a miss here ! VDS gets to the ball but it still goes in... just.


UTD have to score now, and Nani is the boy taking it under pressure.... He does score.


If Terry scores for Chelsea now the Cup is theirs. OMG ! OMG ! Terry slips in the rain and hits the upright !


Sudden death now !

Anderson for UTD. Scores a driving pen straight down the middle.


Now its Kalou who has to score to keep Chelsea in it ! He manages it.


Ryan Giggs, United veteran steps up now. Sends Cech the wrong way and scores.


Mr Lazy - I mean Anelka is up for the blues next... SAVED BY VAN DER SAR !


MANCHESTER UNITED ARE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS !!!