The writing was on the wall. An all-English showdown in the final of the Champions League was widely expected as, for the second year running, three teams from the Premiership made it to the last four.

While Manchester United knocked out Barcelona, Chelsea held the upperhand in another all-English duel with Liverpool.

Hence, next week it will be like a Wembley cup final for Chelsea and Manchester United but in Moscow. The majority of the Muscovites will, perhaps, be cheering for Chelsea since Roman Abramovich, a Russian, owns the Stamford Bridge club.

However, support alone has never won matches of this type and the two sides will battle it out until they drop to lift the coveted silverware.

Alex Ferguson will be looking to collect his third European prize following the wins in the Cup Winners' Cup final against Barcelona 2-1 (Rotterdam 1991), and the never-to-be-forgotten Champions League triumph, when United beat Bayern Munich 2-1 (Barcelona 1999).

Avram Grant, the Chelsea coach, has different aims. He has already surpassed Jose Mourinho's record at Stamford Bridge by steering Chelsea to the final for the first time. And, if the Blues emerge triumphant, he would hand Abramovich the prize he desires most.

This will be the 15th occasion that two English sides have met each other in European football, yet there was only one other final contested by clubs from England. The entire list reads:

• 1963-64 (Cup Winners' Cup, second round): Manchester United-Tottenham: Home 4-1, Away 0-2 (4-3).

• 1964-65 (Fairs Cup, third round): Manchester United-Everton: Home 1-1, Away 2-1 (3-2).

• 1969-70 (Fairs Cup, third round): Newcastle-Southampton: Home 0-0, Away 1-1 (1-1)*.

• 1970-71 (Cup Winners' Cup, semi-final): Chelsea-Manchester City: Home 1-0, Away 1-0 (2-0).

• 1970-71 (Fairs Cup, semi-final): Leeds-Liverpool: Home 0-0, Away 1-0 (1-0).

• 1971-72 (UEFA Cup, final): Tottenham-Wolves: Away 2-1, Home 1-1 (3-2).

• 1972-73 (UEFA Cup, semi-final): Liverpool-Tottenham: Home 1-0, Away 1-2 (2-2)*.

• 1978-79 (European Cup, first round): Nottingham Forest-Liverpool: Home 2-0, Away 0-0 (2-0).

• 2003-04 (Champions League, quarter-final): Chelsea-Arsenal: Home 1-1, Away 2-1 (3-2).

• 2004-05 (Champions League, semi-final): Liverpool-Chelsea: Away 0-0, Home 1-0 (1-0).

• 2005-06 (Champions League, group match): Liverpool-Chelsea: Home 0-0, Away 0-0 (two points each).

• 2006-07 (Champions League, semi-final): Liverpool-Chelsea: Away 0-1, Home 1-0 (1-1 - after extra-time; Liverpool win 4-1 on penalties).

• 2007-08 (Champions League, quarter-final): Liverpool-Arsenal: Away 1-1, Home 4-2 (5-3).

• 2007-08 (Champions League, semi-final): Chelsea-Liverpool: Away 1-1, Home 3-2 (4-3).

* Away goals rule decide.

Path to Moscow

Chelsea

Group matches:
Rosenborg (home) 1-1 Shevchenko.
Valencia (away) 2-1 Cole, Drogba.
Schalke 04 (home) 2-0 Malouda, Drogba.
Schalke 04 (away) 0-0.
Rosenborg (away) 4-0 Drogba 2, J. Cole, Lampard.
Valencia (home) 0-0.

Second round:
Olympiakos (away) 0-0, (home) 3-0 Kalou, Lampard, Ballack.

Quarter-final:
Fenerbahce (away) 1-2 Deivid og, (home) 2-0 Lampard, Ballack.

Semi-final:
Liverpool (away) 1-1 Riise og, (home) 3-2 Drogba 2, Lampard pen.

Manchester United

Group matches:
Sporting Lisbon (away) 1-0 Ronaldo.
Roma (home) 1-0 Rooney.
Dynamo Kiev (away) 4-2 Ronaldo 2 (1 pen.), Ferdinand, Rooney.
Dynamo Kiev (home) 4-0 Ronaldo, Rooney, Pique, Tevez.
porting Lisbon (home) 2-1 Ronaldo, Tevez.
Roma (away) 1-1 Pique.

Second round:
Olympique Lyon (away) 1-1 Tevez, (home) 1-0 Ronaldo.

Quarter-final:
Roma (away) 2-0 Ronaldo, Rooney, (home) 1-0 Tevez.

Semi-final:
Barcelona (away) 0-0, (home) 1-0 Scholes.

While Manchester United are still unbeaten in this season's Champions League, Chelsea lost once.

Head to head

The two clubs were also involved in a thrilling race for the Premier League title. United and Chelsea were level at the top of the standings on 84 points before last weekend's final round of matches but the former were crowned champions after beating Wigan 2-0 away and Chelsea drew 1-1 at home to Bolton.

At Old Trafford, on Avram Grant's debut (who replaced the sacked Jose Mourinho) Manchester United won 2-0 (Saha pen., Tevez). In the return fixture at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea prevailed 2-1 (Ballack 2, 1 pen. − Rooney).

They also met in the curtain raiser of the season, in the Community Shield match that ended in a 1-1 (Giggs; Malouda) draw. The Red Devils went on to triumph 3-0 in the penalty shoot-out (Ferdinand, Carrick, Rooney).

The fight for the Champions League title has an added ingredient since our classification denotes that both sides have not lost a final in Europe.

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