- The final is held in Munich. Bayern Munich plays in Munich. This is a home game for Bayern Munich. This is a home game for Bayern Munich. We all know that Chelsea fans travel well, and they'll be rabid for Champions League glory, but for heavens sake, it's a home Champions League final.
- I am conflicted on who I want to win this game. On one hand, I hate Chelsea. I hate the fact that they've bought their success with Uncle Roman the Tyrant's (probably ill-gotten) riches. I hate the fact that their fans equate them with the top tier of English football, even though they've been to 2 Champions League finals (Liverpool: 7, Manchester United: 5) and have won four English titles (Liverpool: 18, Manchester United: 19).
So I really do want Bayern to win. However, I have this terrible vision in my head of Bayern winning on some fluke goal, or a missed offside call, or a controversial handball in the box that is/isn't a penalty, and Chelsea having rather legitimate complaints about being robbed by the officiating. It doesn't matter whether they import the officials from India, Saskatchewan, or Pluto, anyone would be swayed by 70,000 screaming Germans.
- The yellow card suspension rules need to be changed. Obviously, John Terry should be out for the final with a red card in the semifinal. Less sensible, however, are the suspensions of Ramires and Branislav Ivanovic. Ramires was easily one of Chelsea's best players during the semifinal (see this goal for proof). As for Ivanovic, his reaction to the knowledge of his suspension illustrates this point. He wasn't even aware he'd have to miss the final until the postgame press conference, and nearly broke down when informed by a reporter of this fact. This needs to change. No one wants to see a less-than-full-strength side out on a final night, except if one of their number (Terry) has done something massively stupid to get himself suspended.
In short, I say that yellow cards should be struck from the board for the final, with suspensions only handed out to a player who's somehow managed a red card in the semifinal.
-PREDICTION: Bayern 2 - 1 Chelsea
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