Probable teams

Milan: Dida; Massimo Oddo, Alessandro Nesta, Paolo Maldini, Marek Jankulovski; Gennaro Gattuso, Andrea Pirlo, Massimo Ambrosini; Kaká, Clarence Seedorf; Filippo Inzaghi.

Liverpool: Pepe Reina; Steve Finnan, Jamie Carragher, Daniel Agger, John Arne Riise; Steven Gerrard, Javier Mascherano, Xabi Alonso, Boudewijn Zenden/Harry Kewell; Peter Crouch, Dirk Kuyt.

PRESS conference - LIVERPOOL

Liverpool coach Rafael Benitez wants his side calm and confident for tomorrow. Jermaine Pennant sees Athens as a great honour and John Riise is optimistic


Rafael Benitez had this to say from the pre-match press conference in Athens: ‘We are here because we have been doing the right things and we deserve to be here. Zenden has some problems, while Kewell is ready to play the entire 90 minutes. Our players are focused and motivated. It’s not easy to play two finals in three years and we should be proud. The secret of my great success in European competitions? My staff are the key. We have good people, good workers. When you have a good staff then you can be successful. Of course we have good players as well. Everything is good. Our motivations are the same as Milan. I don’t know if Bellamy will play or if Crouch will play. I still have to think about it. We have two or three different options, I will decide later on after training. It’s going to be a tough match. The final two years ago was incredible, the best final of all-time. But I don't want to go through that kind of match again because I think I'd need a doctor this time! I don’t know if I will give a watch to my wife at the end of the match, that depends on what the players do. My players are more or less on a similar level as that of two years ago. We are preparing all the details like two years ago. Ancelotti? He is an excellent coach. As for me, I have excellent assistants and I am trying to analyse every aspect. Gerrard and Carragher are very important players, but for me the key is the team spirit, not just one player. I am sorry that there aren’t tickets for all of our fans. I think the team who scores first might have a slightly better chance.’

Liverpool midfielder Jermaine Pennant also spoke at the pre-match press conference: ‘It's a great honour to be involved. Many players would love to play in a game of this level and just being here is already a great success. This is my first year at Liverpool, I have gotten used to the coach’s tactics and have come to understand my team-mates. I will try to do better next year. Hopefully I can repay Liverpool’s faith in me if I’m picked tomorrow. I will give 110%. Milan are in excellent physical form, they showed that against Manchester United.’

Liverpool defender John Riise was there beside coach Benitez and team-mate Pennant to speak in the pre-match press conference: ‘We have a lot of confidence in ourselves and we have confidence in our winning the final. Our qualification over Barcelona during this Champions League journey reinforced our conviction. We are stronger and more experienced than we were two years ago. We have better players and we will demonstrate that. Milan want revenge and we will respect them just like we know that they respect us, but tomorrow night we will be thinking only about ourselves. What happened two years ago in Istanbul doesn’t give us any psychological advantages. Kakà is the top goalscorer in the Champions League, but Milan are more than just Kakà. As for me, I play for the team not for the goals. We trained in the heat in Spain, but it’s a bit colder here.’

PRESS conference - MILAN

Speaking at the pre-game press conference, Carlo Ancelotti has put Istanbul behind him. Paolo Maldini is proud to be captain for such a side and Ricky Kakà hope to write another page in the history books

ATHENS - CARLO ANCELOTTI - It will not be easy, but I have no doubts we will give everything. All my decisions have been made. On a purely technical level perhaps Milan were stronger two years ago and for that side it was almost ‘normal’ to reach the Final. For today’s team it is extraordinary and we want to end this year on a high. We deserved this final more than any other side because we suffered like nobody else. We had points penalties and had to rush our pre-season training to prepare for the preliminary round. If we have the fortune to lift the trophy, then it will be absolutely and totally deserved. This has been the most difficult season in my time at Milan. We ran into problems we had never encountered before, but the great unity between myself, the team and club proved decisive. Steven Gerrard is charismatic, but you cannot base your match on one player. Liverpool, like Milan, have many other qualities. Our opponents are Liverpool, not Gerrard. I don’t see myself as the leader of the group, but rather a part of the group. We all come together to answer questions and solve problems. We have worked well and I hope it will be considered even better tomorrow. We never sought alibis or scapegoats, we just tried to resolve our problems together, so what we have been through makes us stronger for this final. We feel very strong in these days leading up to the match. It was here in Athens against AEK that we suffered three injuries, it was the most delicate moment. Being compared to Sacchi and Capello by Doctor Galliani is pleasing. We have all done well. Milan’s presence in this final shows the strength of Italian football and we do feel ourselves a very Italian side.

PAOLO MALDINI - I have never been crazy about looking at history, it difficult to find the comparison with Athens now and in 1994, there are great players, Kakà today, Savicevic then. The Golden Ball is not as important as the final in general. If I can say, no one deserves the Golden Ball more than Kakà. It will be an emotional final even if you manage it differently from when you were 18 or 19. The best image is fitting the cup in Manchester with the whole team behind me. The important thing to get there rather than not. Crouch can be difficult in the air but I want to get out there once again and experience the shiver of excitement you only get in games like this. To be doing this again at this level is something fantastic and I am proud to be captain of a team that is always at these levels.

RICARDO KAKA' - No team plays man-marking at this level. I think that it will be like this tomorrow. I had the chance to win the Champions League two years ago, hopefully I have a great game tomorrow and write my name in the history books. If we can repeat what we did in the first half against Manchester United then it will be difficult to face Milan. Thanks to the example of Maldini and Costacurta, there is always the desire to win. I requested not to play in the Copa America in the interests of the Brazilian national team as I have played every summer for the last three years.

SAME STORY DIFFERENT PLACE

Two years on from the drama of Istanbul, AC Milan and Liverpool FC will meet again in the UEFA Champions League final with revenge on Milanese minds. Carlo Ancelotti's side may be considered slight favourites but with Liverpool aiming to prove lightning can strike twice there is no danger of the Rossoneri taking anything for granted given the unforgettable circumstances of their opponents' 2005 triumph in Turkey. As if anyone needed reminding, Milan surrendered a 3-0 half-time lead as Rafael Benítez's team fought back to claim a 3-3 draw before winning on penalties.

• The Athens Olympic Stadium - otherwise known as the OACA Spyro Louis Stadium - is the setting for this showdown between two of the continent's most successful clubs and for a Milan team plotting revenge, the choice of venue may be considered a lucky one. It was here, after all, that the Rossoneri beat FC Barcelona 4-0 in the 1994 UEFA Champions League final.

• Between them, Milan and Liverpool have won eleven of the 51 previous editions of the European Champion Clubs' Cup. For Milan victory would bring their seventh European crown while Liverpool can make it six. Only nine-times winners Real Madrid CF have enjoyed more success in the competition than this pair.

• Milan are contesting their eleventh final and previously lifted the European Cup in 1963, 1969, 1989, 1990, 1994 and 2003. The Rossoneri were runners-up in 1958, 1993, 1995 and 2005. Only Madrid have appeared in more finals (12).

• This is Liverpool's seventh European Cup final and their five successes were in 1977, 1978, 1981, 1984 and 2005. Their sole losing final appearance came in 1985.

• Every time Liverpool have lifted the cup they have worn their home colours and beaten opponents wearing white. Although Milan were in white in Istanbul, they still regard the colour as lucky after five previous triumphs wearing their change strip in 1963, 1989, 1990, 1994 and 2003.

• On an individual level, Milan's Paolo Maldini could claim his fifth winners' medal following victories with the Rossoneri in 1989, 1990, 1994 and 2003. He will equal Paco Gento's record of eight final appearances in Athens and Gento is one of only three players in history to have enjoyed more success in the competition: the Real Madrid CF legend has six wins to his name while former colleagues Alfredo di Stéfano and José María Zárraga have five each.

• If Maldini has followed his father Cesare in winning the European Cup with Milan, Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina is aiming to go one better than his own father, Miguel, who finished on the losing side with Club Atlético de Madrid in their 1974 final against FC Bayern München.

• Both Ancelotti and Benítez have led their teams to this trophy once before, Ancelotti in 2003 and Benítez in 2005. In the Milan coach's case he is one of only five men to have lifted the European Cup as both a player and manager, following three triumphs with Milan in his playing days.

• Another of Milan's European Cup history-makers is Clarence Seedorf, who is the only player to have won the competition with three different clubs: AFC Ajax (1995), Real Madrid (1998) and Milan (2003).

• This is the two clubs' first meeting since their remarkable first encounter in the Istanbul final on 25 May 2005. Milan took a first-minute lead that night through Maldini, the quickest goal in a final, and they struck twice more before the break through Hernán Crespo (39, 44). Liverpool responded with three goals in a stunning spell from Steven Gerrard (54), Vladimír Šmicer (56) and Xabi Alonso (60) and the English team won the ensuing shoot-out 3-2, with Jerzy Dudek the hero after saving Andriy Shevchenko's spot-kick.

• The full details of the shoot-out were:Serginho, missed; Hamann, 0-1; Pirlo, saved; Cissé, 0-2; Tomasson, 1-2; Riise, saved; Kaká, 2-2; Šmicer, 2-3; Shevchenko, saved.

• The teams in Istanbul were: Milan: Dida; Cafu, Jaap Stam, Alessandro Nesta, Paolo Maldini; Gennaro Gattuso (Rui Costa, 112), Andrea Pirlo, Kaká, Clarence Seedorf (Serginho, 86); Andriy Shevchenko, Hernán Crespo (Jon Dahl Tomasson, 85).

• Liverpool: Jerzy Dudek; Steve Finnan (Dietmar Hamann, 46), Jamie Carragher, Sami Hyypiä, Djimi Traoré; Luis García, Xabi Alonso, Steven Gerrard, John Arne Riise; Harry Kewell (Vladimír Šmicer, 23), Milan Baroš (Djibril Cissé, 85).

• Milan advanced to Athens thanks to a 5-3 aggregate victory over Manchester United FC in the semi-finals. After succumbing to a 3-2 first-leg loss at Old Trafford, Milan found the perfect response at San Siro as they won through goals from Kaká (11), Clarence Seedorf (30) and Alberto Gilardino (78).

• For Milan the road to the final began in the third qualifying round where they beat FK Crvena Zvezda both at home (1-0) and away (2-1). After finishing top of Group H - recording three wins, one draw and two defeats – the Italian side overcame Celtic FC in the first knockout round, following up a 0-0 away draw with a 1-0 home success. They then got the better of FC Bayern München in the quarter-finals, drawing 2-2 at home before winning 2-0 away.

• Liverpool's semi-final victims were the same Chelsea FC team they overcame two years earlier en route to Istanbul. After losing the first leg in London 1-0, Daniel Agger's 22nd-minute strike gave Benítez's side an identical victory at Anfield before they completed the victory with a 4-1 shoot-out success.

• Boudewijn Zenden, Alonso, Gerrard and Dirk Kuyt all converted their spot-kicks while goalkeeper Reina stopped kicks from Chelsea's Arjen Robben and Geremi. That success means the Merseyside club have lost just one of eleven penalty shoot-outs they have contested in all competitions.

• Liverpool's campaign began in the group stage where they topped Group C with four wins, one draw and one defeat. In the first knockout round they achieved the feat of eliminating holders FC Barcelona, winning on away goals after a 2-1 first-leg victory in Spain and 1-0 loss in the return. The quarter-finals brought a more comfortable passage as they beat PSV Eindhoven 3-0 away and 1-0 at home.

• Greece has proved a happy hunting ground for Milan in the two previous finals they have contested here. It was in Thessaloniki that the Rossoneri defeated another English side, Leeds United AFC, in the 1972/73 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final, Luciano Chiarugi scoing the only goal after four minutes.

• The OACA Spyro Louis Stadium, meanwhile was the setting for their 4-0 UEFA Champions League final triumph on 18 May 1994 against a Barcelona 'Dream Team' stunned by goals from Daniele Massaro (2), Dejan Savićević and Marcel Desailly. However, it was at this same stadium earlier this season that Milan suffered their first defeat on Greek soil, going down 1-0 to AEK Athens FC in the group stage.

• Liverpool, for their part, have positive memories of their previous two visits to the final venue, winning 1-0 at Panathinaikos FC to secure a 5-0 aggregate success in the 1984/85 European Cup semi-final and then drawing 2-2 against Olympiacos CFP en route to a third-round success in the 2000/01 UEFA Cup – a competition they went on to win.

• The Reds' most recent visit to Greece ended in defeat as they went down 1-0 to Olympiacos at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in the 2004/05 UEFA Champions League group stage.

• Milan's record against English teams reads nine wins, seven draws and eight defeats from 24 matches, with the 2005 final counted as a Rossoneri reverse. They have played two previous UEFA finals against opposition from England, defeating Leeds to win the Cup Winners' Cup in 1973 but losing to Liverpool in Istanbul.

• Liverpool have won seven and lost seven of their 16 previous encounters with Italian opposition - with the final shoot-out victories of 1984 and 2005 counted as two of those successes.

• They have contested three previous UEFA finals against Serie A sides and won two of them. Besides beating Milan in Istanbul, they defeated AS Roma 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the 1983/84 European Cup final in Rome. However, they lost 1-0 to Juventus in the final in Brussels the following season.

• Overall there have been five Anglo-Italian UEFA competition finals and the score reads 3-2 in favour of England.

• This is the fifth time that two former final opponents have met again and for Milan the third time they have faced such a rematch.

• Milan got the better of SL Benfica twice in the final, beating the Portuguese side 2-1 in 1963 and 1-0 in 1990. Against Ajax, meanwhile, they recorded a 4-1 victory in 1969 but lost 1-0 when the sides squared off for a second time in the 1995 final.

• The other two final rematches were: Real Madrid CF v Stade de Reims Champagne – 4-3 in 1956; 2-0 in 1959. Ajax v Juventus - 1-0 in 1973; 1-1 (2-4 pens) in 1996.

• The Athens Olympic Stadium has a proud sporting history. Originally constructed for the 1982 European Athletics Championship, the OACA Spyro Louis Stadium was named after the winner of the first Olympic marathon in the Greek capital in 1896 and is located in the north of the city in the municipality of Maroussi. Construction begun in 1980, and it was opened on 8 September 1982, the arena dominated by four leaning pillars at each corner.

• In 2002 the old stadium was closed and, after a major revamp, was re-opened on 30 July 2004 for the Olympic Games. The new Athens Olympic Stadium was noticeable for the twin 304m arches supporting the polycarbonate roof designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and designed to withstand winds of up to 120km/h.

• UEFA President Michel Platini will present the European Champion Clubs' Cup to the winning captain, with UEFA Champions League final ambassador Theodoros Zagorakis assisting in the ceremony. The victorious Greece captain at UEFA EURO 2004™ will first help Mr Platini present medals to the match officials and the losing team, before the winning team step up to claim their medals and the trophy.

Ac Milan - Liverpool FC Road to 2007 Athens Final

SMICER: AWESOME FANS CAN BE THE KEY

Istanbul hero Vladimir Smicer believes Liverpool's 'awesome' supporters can help inspire the Reds to more European glory in Athens.

RIISE: WE'RE MILAN'S NIGHTMARE

John Arne Riise believes Liverpool are AC Milan's worst nightmare because they hate playing against physical sides.

And the Norwegian full-back believes Liverpool will never allow the Italians the freedom to attack they had in the Champions League semi-final against Manchester United.

Riise prepares for his second final showdown with Milan next Wednesday in Athens convinced Liverpool can repeat their success of 2005.

Riise and his colleagues are increasingly aware that Milan believe them to be inferior to Manchester United, who the Italians eliminated in the semi-finals.

Their coach Carlo Ancelotti claims Liverpool are the poorest of the four semi-finalists and even United chief Sir Alex Ferguson believes Liverpool have no hope of success.

But Riise said: "We don't really care what people say, we deserve to be in the final. And we know Milan don't like playing against teams like us."

He added: "I heard some things earlier that they think they are the more tactical and we are the more physical side. But we can play football too.

"And they know we are strong and physical and we will use that to our advantage. They hate playing against those sort of teams.

"They looked like they struggled against the physical aspect when they played Bayern Munich earlier in the competition, even though they got through. But it is not something they enjoy facing.

"And we will play our own style of football that has been successful for us, we know that some teams hate to play against us because we play a physical compact type of game. We don't listen to other people because we know what we can do."

And Riise made it clear that Liverpool believe they can blunt the Milan style that caused Manchester United so much trouble in their calamitous second-leg mauling in Milan.

He said: "When they played against United their full-backs were almost like strikers or wingers. That is because United made room for them and gave them space.

"The way we play is quite compact and it will be hard work for their full-backs and wingers to get through.

"If they still attack us that way we will find space to hurt them. We have got the next few days to find their weaknesses and exploit them."

And Riise has faith in boss Rafael Benitez to produce the game plan to win Liverpool's second Champions League crown in three seasons.

"When he picks his team, and he knows who he wants to play, he will talk to every player to say what he expects from them and what the opposition player is going to do.

"Our manager is a tactical genius and he knows how to get his players ready."

But Riise accepts that this final must not start the way the Istanbul match did, when Liverpool were 3-0 down at the break. He said: "We cannot afford a three goal head start this time.

"It was called a miracle because of the comeback, but it can't happen again. This time we will approach the game perfectly and hopefully get a good start."

And Riise recalls Benitez's calmness in the face of that dreadful deficit in 2005. He said: "When you are losing 3-0 at half-time in a game like that you expect to get shouted at by the manager. All our heads were down.

"But the manager was very quiet and calm and explained what we were going to do. He wanted us to lift our heads, which we did. He said if we got a goal anything can happen. That is what we did and in the end, everything turned out okay.

"Once Steven Gerrard scored with the header, you could see the change in the faces of the players. We all seemed to get extra energy and the fans were lifted as well. We knew we had a chance. We just had to keep going."