FOUR YEARS AGO I developed my theory of the Champions League.
I asked myself : What does it boil down to ?
When it comes to Europe’s top 16 teams playing each other, the top eight teams playing each other, the top four teams playing each other, what does it boil down to?
My answer was : My Brazilians are better than your Brazilians.
Kaka and Cafu got to the final last year and Crespo scored twice and Milan went 3-0 up but Liverpool turned them upside down, Brazilians and all, to become the heroes of Istanbul.
The 2005 champions had no Brazilian in their side, so Liverpool are the exception that proves the rule.
Juventus have Emerson and Lyon have Juninho.
Barcelona have Belletti, Edmilson, Ronaldinho and Silvinho, plus Deco, who was born in Brazil.
Real Madrid have half of the Brazil squad and twinkletoes Robinho can twinkle through any defence.
THE OTHER GAMES are very interesting.
Benfica’s Simao will face Liverpool, the club that tried to sign him. Coach Ronald Koeman is a good tactician and he will need to be against the machine that Benitez built. Don’t expect Laurent Robert to score any wonder-goals for Benfica in this one. He is a big talent but not a big player.
I fancy Ballack, Makaay & Co to beat AC Milan.
Bayern are in very good form.Will Ballack head one past Dida? Maybe not but he can score with both feet as well.
Ballack is a helluva player, but not as good as Shevchenko, who is on a mission to win his second European Cup. Pippo Inzaghi once scored three for Juventus in Kiev but will settle for one in Munich tonight.
Milan’s Kaka scored twice against Fenerbahce on Matchday 1 and twice against Schalke on Matchday 6. But both those games were at the San Siro.
Chelsea v Barcelona?
Chelsea don’t have any Brazilians.When they thumped Real Betis 4-0 I thought they would win the European Cup because they have the best defence and they are the most ruthless team.
I’m convinced the bad pitch is deliberate.But nobody can prove it. Mourinho’s sarcastic denial last Friday was a disgrace, reminding us of his lies when he was accused of being in a London hotel with Ashley Cole. He grinned and said he was in Milan with Adriano. Behaviour like that builds up a lot of bad karma.
Guus Hiddink is still my choice for England and Im wondering if his PSV can beat Gerard Houllier’s Lyon.That could be a 1-1.