If last night’s events at the Bernabéu turned out to be a bit of an anti-climax, tonight should not disappoint.
The Champions League remains the holy grail for Chelsea and Roman Abramovich. Tonight, just as they did in 2008, Manchester United stand in their way, determined to deny their great rivals of the one trophy they want above all others.
Since Abramovich swooped on Stamford Bridge in 2003, the pair have met 19 times (excluding the Community Shield) and United have won only three of those games, outside of the Moscow shoot-out. In nine fixtures at the Bridge, Chelsea have prevailed in six and drawn three. While Sir Alex Ferguson may point to a pattern of vexing refereeing decisions in that part of London it is also true that Chelsea’s power and midfield strength have tended to frustrate United’s lighter touch.
Ben Smith will be your guide live from 7pm, providing a preview, team news, plenty of stats, unrivalled analysis and opinion once the game is under way. There may even be a smattering of witticisms, too.
Join in the fun by firing questions and opinions at Ben. Whether you’re watching from the sofa (lucky), the pub (luckier) or stuck somewhere (unlucky) which just hasn’t cottoned on to the thrilling contest that awaits, he is aching to hear from you.
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