(Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
If Gerrard can resist Ballack’s attentions and settle on the ball, the Liverpool captain can dictate the game in midfield, find teammates, and bring them into the game at will, much like Francesco Totti does for Roma.
Gerrard’s passes for Torres enable the Spaniard to employ his footwork and spin into shooting opportunities.
John Terry/Alex or Ricardo Carvalho vs Fernando Torres
Possibly the determining matchup in the contest. Fernando Torres, as shown against Manchester United and Chelsea, is one of the most clinical finishers of the modern era. Rarely does a chance go begging: wide or over.
A Torres shot 99 percent of the time seemingly forces the goalkeeper to work and 99 percent of that goalkeeping is redundant. The ball is in the net.
Keeping Torres quiet is a tall order, as he is quick, fleet-footed, and able to manoeuvre in a yard of space, even trying to keep him quiet like Drogba fails. Torres gets up, hungrier than ever to score.
However, John Terry has not been placed in the FIFPro World XI for the past four years for nothing, and alongside either Alex or Carvalho, is very good at snuffing out danger.
In tandem with Ballack, the Blues best chance is to attempt to smother the service to Torres, with the second defender as a stalling tactic to Torres’ progress when he gets the ball to allow Cech to set.
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