WIN! The UEFA Champions League with EA Sports

(Note: This article was picked up from soccernet.com, but I want to share it with all of you because it started my day with a glimpse of smile about how Liverpool gonna win tonight. As well as that, you can claim a game from EA if you submit answer for the question below. Check in the soccernet.com website for more details ... for now, enjoy the article, eat good, sleep well, and dont forget the final tonight ... because we're gonna be the 12th players tonight .. you'll never walk alone!!)

This week's Champions League final promises much. A return of the 2005 final in Istanbul, AC Milan will be out for revenge against a Liverpool side who have progressed all the way to Athens despite finishing third in the Premiership.

Milan's own domestic campaign has been hindered by the points deduction they received at the start of the season, but they have been in impressive form, particularly at the San Siro, in the Champions League.

They have the competition's top scorer, Brazilian playmaker Kaka who has scored ten goals from midfield, and will look to run the show as he did in Istanbul the last time the two teams met. It will be a long night for the Liverpool defence who have a tough task ahead of them to control Kaka's creativity and are likely to enlist the help of combative midfielder Javier Mascherano, in a deep holding role, to cover him.

However, Liverpool boast their own potent goal threat through the gangly Peter Crouch, who is the competition's joint-second top scorer on seven. The six foot seven inch striker has already ruffled some feathers in the Milan camp and they will be wary of his aerial prowess. While last year's hero, influential skipper Steven Gerrard, also has a good record in Europe and will put talks over a new contract aside in order to focus fully on winning Liverpool's sixth European Cup.

In defence, the Reds' will have to choose between the experience of Sami Hyppia and the young Daniel Agger, who has been in great form for them this season. The young Danish international should get the nod, having proved himself capable of stopping Chelsea powerhouse Didier Drogba in the second leg of their semi-final.

His partnership with seasoned campaigner Jamie Carragher will also be important in disrupting Milan's attacking play. Not only in stopping Kaka, but also the trophy-laden pairing of Clarence Seedorf and Andrea Pirlo. Milan will be relying on their own veteran defender Paolo Maldini to recover in time to marshal the threat of Steven Gerrard, while Gennaro Gattuso will do his usual wrecking ball impression in central midfield.

A 3-3 might be too much to hope for, but there are certainly enough quality players in both teams to put on a show over the ninety minutes.

With Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina in inspired form from 12 yards though, Milan will be hoping that the game doesn't go to penalties. The hero of Istanbul, Jerzy Dudek, may be on his way out of Anfield but Reina has shown this season that he is a specialist penalty saver and the Rossoneri will want to finish the game before it goes to a shoot-out.

After their incredible comeback two years ago, many would give Liverpool the psychological edge. Milan may be favourites after their dismantling of Premiership Champions Manchester United in the semi-finals, but if the Reds' defence holds firm, anything can happen.

We teamed up with EA Sports to find out what the result of the Champions League final would be if we simulated it with their UEFA Champions League 2006/07 game.

Soccernet
Gerrard lifted the simulation trophy, but who will get the real one in Athens?

And Reds' fans will delight in knowing that it was a 2-1 win for Steven Gerrard's side. Liverpool took the lead just before half-time, after Gerrard was left unmarked near the left corner of the penalty box, to fire a cracker past Milan 'keeper Dida into the top corner of the goal.

The Reds' then scored in the 56th minute through Xabi Alonso, who controlled the ball nicely in the six yard box, before calmly netting what would be the winning goal.

Down 2-0, Milan mounted a frantic comeback, finally getting one past Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina after Kaka was pulled down in the area and Milan were awarded a penalty kick. Midfielder Andrea Pirlo buried the spot-kick in the top corner to cut the margin to one, setting the stage for a frantic final 10 minutes.

Milan fired eight shots at the Liverpool goal, forcing Reina to make four saves, but it was not enough for the Rossoneri, and after Pirlo wasted their last chance from a free-kick, they had to contend with another defeat to Rafa Benitez's side.

Of course, the real game may turn out differently, but we'll give you the chance to win 5 copies of EA Sports' UEFA Champions League 2006/07 to soften the blow if it doesn't turn out the way you would like.