BATTLE OF MADRID: Finals are always tough to call, teams will approach this game differently than they would in a general league game, obviously, because there is so much to play for! I found this weekend’s finals particularly tough games to call, with the Madrid derby taking place in Milan as well as Playoff finals closer to home. Despite the difficulty to call, I have my couple of bets to make some money over the weekend.
DOGGED PERFORMANCE BY ATLETICO
It is often difficult to back a side in a final. It is even tougher to back a side in a final between two deadly rivals from the same city. Atletico have always lived in Real Madrid’s shadow. Real are arguably the biggest side on the planet, and while Atletico have an excellent fan base of their own, it pales in comparison with Real’s. Despite their size, nobody can argue that Atletico are one of the top clubs in Europe right now. Diego Simeone has done a remarkable job in making them one of the toughest teams to beat in the world.
Despite the incredible job Simeone I find it tough to back them against Real. But I certainly don’t fancy Real either. All three of the Real Madrid attackers have missed some considerable time in the past couple of months. Bale has been good and bad since returning, Benzema has been good but not great, and Ronaldo took a while to get back into the swing of things. Add to this that Ronaldo hobbled off in training this week. I can’t see Real Madrid firing on all cylinders as they may have done earlier in the season. They were excellent when Zidane was first appointed, but I think he has had to work very hard to try and instill a style of play with this team. He is after all very much in the rookie stage of his managerial career. It will be difficult for them coming up against such a dogged, well srilled side in Atletico Madrid, and I think Rela will find it difficult to break them down.
You can’t write off Atletico. They have knocked out the two tournament favourites in the last two rounds. And nobody could have watched those games and though they didn’t deserve to go through on both occasions. They were brilliant. Barca and Bayern through all they had at Atletico, but they absorbed the pressure and hit them on the break as they always do. When every single player on the team is committed to the system they play it is really difficult to break them down. And I don’t see the final being any different. Real will find it too difficult to get the win in 90 minutes. Verdict – Lay Real Madrid
FOLLOWING MY HEAD OVER MY HEART
Another tough one to call. Of course I am going to be a bit biased here as I used to play with Milwall, and it is still a club I have a soft spot for. This is not the only reason it is tough, as I expect another tight game here. I have watched quite a bit of both teams this season, and they play very different styles of football.
Milwall are a very defensive side who like to try and hit you on the counter. They have two very good strikers in Morison and Gregory. Morison holds the ball up very well, and Gregory grabs the majority of the goals. This side doesn’t play like a typical 4-4-2 however. When they lose the ball everybody collapses back. This of course makes it tough for the opposition to break them down, and then they look to hit them with a quick break. I’m not so sure this approach is the best way to victory in Wembley however. It is a dangerous game to play in a Playoff final, especially against a Barnsley team that are in great form.
Barnsley struggled early in the season, to the point where they have had a change in manager. Since then they have played some excellent football, and have been on a serious roll. They only lost once in their last 13 games of the season, and they breezed past Walsall in the semi final. As a team they definitely have goals in them, particularly Sam Winnall who is averaging a goal every two games for Barnsley.
Barnsley did the double over Milwall during the season which shows how they can play against the defensive style that Milwall have adopted. It is worth noting that this is not the usual Milwall style. The culture of the club has always been to go out and attack, give it a go, don’t show the opposition respect and just go for the win. This style is set up to give the opposition too much respect, let them play and then hit them on the counter. I hope they can do it, but if they are to have a chance I think they need to revert to the culture of the club. Barnsley are too good a team to play defensive against. They will find a way to score, and unfortunately I see them having a clear advantage here. Verdict – Barnsley Win
£25 IN FREE BETS
