The End is Near...Man U VS Chelsea, War on the Horizon

Saturday the 26th of April marks the date when an epic battle of two tales shall be determined. The top two premiereship sides for the season are going up against each other head to head for leading position in the 2007/08 BPL league title. These two teams are also one of three teams in the Champions League semi-finals. Both teams are still in a good position to move on to the finals where they could meet each other once more for the season. Both teams have defensive lines that rarely concede goals. Manchester United has conceded 19 goals this season and Chelsea not far off with 24. The last time these two met Man U won 2-0 at Old Trafford. This encounter should intrigue any fan of the game. Man U now top the table with 81 points and Chelsea trail behind with 78 points, this game is a must win for both teams based on this simple fact.

Both these teams are in desperate need to finish off thier opponents while ensuring that none of thier key players get overworked or injured before the weeks CL second leg games. The game will be played at Stanford Bridge Chelsea's home that has become known as the fortress. Chelsea have created a enormous record of being unbeaten at home for over a century of games. It is now Manchester United's ambition to enter this fort and go home as victors. This will be no easy feat and Sir Alex will have to carefully pick his squad if he wants to win this match. Grant on the other hand has to be the more comfortable of the two managers. His team has an away goal and has an extra day to rest until he faces Liverpool once again at his home ground. His players can afford to take a risk or two to ensure victory.

The table is now set and I do not expect a fury of goals to determine the outcome. Instead I am expecting to see a game played mostly in the midfield with tackles and cards being produced. The victor will be the team that forces the other into a mistake that will either grant them a free kick or a swift counter attack. I expect Sir Alex to be respectful of the calibre of his opponents and put forward a squad with the likes of Ronaldo, Ferdinand, Hargreaves and Rooney. I have a feeling that Tevez and Anderson will be left on the bench and only called upon if needed, as Ferguson will be looking ahead to Tuesdays ,matchup against Barcalona. He will be hoping that Ronaldo is able to use his skills to score a goal that will allow him to play the game at his own pace and get his important players off the field as soon as possible. Ronaldo is certainly the man for this task for he has racked in 28 goals for Man U in the BPL to date.

Avram Grant also has decisions to make such as should he keep Drogba up front with Cole or Kalau assisting from the wing or play a double edged sword using Anelka and Drogba up front. My prediction will be the former, since Grant is well aware of Man U's counter attacking abilities he will want to ensure that he has as many men behind the ball as possible. The untimely death of midfielder Frank Lampard's mother (My condolences to him and his family) also have the potential to change Grant's intended line up. Chelsea however have an array of midfield options to choose from with the likes of Essien, Ballack, Makelele and Obi Mikel. Grant will be wishing that Drogba is able to break through Manchester's almost indestructable defensive line and score a couple of goals to ensure a win to the home side.

My prediction: 0-0 This game has too much at stake for both sides. This game will be played cautiously from the first whistle and unless one team makes a fatal mistake of giving away a freekick or a defensive mistake, both teams will be going home sharing the spoils of the battle field.