Which Team Will Win the 2009 Champions League?
In the month of February, Soccer Equipment Reviews posted a poll asking you, the viewers, who you thought would wind up victorious in this year’s European campaign? The poll was, Which Team Will Win the 2009 Champions League? Let’s see what you voted over a month’s time.
5. ‘Others’ came up tied for last place in the poll, tacking up a meager 6%. The ‘Others’ category included big clubs such as Inter Milan, Arsenal, and Lyon, and also included a few ‘smaller’ clubs with names like Panathanaikos and Villarael. This was an easy one to guess from the start, however look to see some upsets later this month, ’cause isn’t that what the Champions League is all about?
5. Real Madrid ended up tying with ‘Others’ for joint last place with 6% of your votes. The Spanish giants have been great recently, recording a 6-1 victory not too long ago in La Liga. However, they go into the 2nd leg of their tie away down 1-0 to Liverpool, so they know that the next leg will be an upward battle.
4. With 10% of the votes, Liverpool come away with a narrow 4th place finish. After going up 1 goal in their tie with Real Madrid through Yossi Benayoun at the Bernabeau, Liverpool are looking to go through to the quarter-finals, but are looking shaky in the Premier League after an embarassing 2-0 loss to bottom of the table Middlesborough.
3. Able to edge out Liverpool by a mere 2%, Chelsea finish the poll with a bronze medal. Coming into the next leg versus Juventus in Italy, Chelsea are looking rejuvenated with new manager Guus Hiddink at the helm. They are up 1-0 in their leg, but are sure there is still a tough match ahead of them at Juventus.
2. Never really contesting a 1st place finish against a strong Manchester United side, Barcelona will have to settle for a 2nd place finish and 24% of the votes in SER’s poll. Clear at the top of the table in La Liga, Barcelona are being led by an inspirational Lionel Messi, and are once again receiving goals from golden oldies Samuel E’to and Thierry Henry.
1. Coming as no surprise to anyone, defending champs Manchester United took the poll easily, receiving 52% of your votes. Man U have been superb this season, leading the Premier League by a massive 7 points, and have already won 3 pieces of silverware this season, the Community Shield, the FIFA Club World Cup, and the recently acquired Carling Cup. With the aggregate being 0-0 in their stalemate with Inter in Milan last week, United are confident of victory at Old Trafford.
