KAKA V CARRAGHER
With ten goals already in this season's competition, including three in the two legs of Milan's semifinal victory over Manchester United, Kaka has made a convincing case to be regarded as the world's finest player on current form.

Stopping the Brazilian playmaker is usually a matter of cutting off his supply -- by the time he has the ball at his feet, as United discovered, it is frequently too late. His preference for the inside left channel means it will be Carragher who assumes primary responsibility for policing his movements in and around the penalty area. Like the Brazilian, Liverpool's homegrown centreback has had his finest season to date and will be determined to repeat his successful shackling of the likes of Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o and Chelsea's Didier Drogba in earlier rounds.

AMBROSINI v GERRARD
Injuries have dogged Ambrosini for the past few years, but Milan's defensive midfielder has stayed free of knocks this season and together with Gennaro Gattuso works tirelessly to win possession.

Less ferocious in the tackle than Gattuso, Ambrosini is better at distributing the ball and his strength in the air makes him a danger to Liverpool at set-pieces.

But his main priority tonight will be to stifle the threat posed by Liverpool's inspirational captain, the heartbeat of the Merseysiders' team, who likes to get forward at any given opportunity.

Milan are only too aware of his importance to the Premiership team as it was Gerrard who inspired Liverpool's fight-back in Istanbul two years ago.

But Gerrard will not be an easy player to mark. Liverpool midfielder Rafa Benitez gives his skipper license to roam and he tends to drift from the right-hand side into the centre.

Milan dare not give Gerrard too much space anywhere around the box as he has a lethal shot and is very accurate. Milan believe if they can keep Gerrard quiet, they have an excellent chance of getting their revenge on Liverpool for the 2005 final defeat.

PIRLO v MASCHERANO
In the five months since he swapped the West Ham reserves for Liverpool, Mascherano has established himself as Rafael Benitez's holding midfielder of choice to the extent that Xabi Alonso's future at the club is now in doubt.

The Argentinian is adept at destroying the offensive momentum of opposing sides and was outstanding and inexhaustible as Liverpool overturned a one-goal deficit in the second leg of the semifinal win over Chelsea. His primary task here will be to deny Pirlo, the World Cup winning playmaker who operates at the head of Milan's midfield, the space to unpick Liverpool's back four. But if the English side find themselves requiring a goal in the latter stages, expect to see Mascherano's extraordinary stamina force Pirlo into the kind of tracking back that has never come naturally to him.

NESTA V KUYT
Once a popular choice for the title of 'world's best defender', Alessandro Nesta's prowess has appeared to be on the wane at times during what has been an injury-blighted season. But he remains well-equipped to cope with the threat of Liverpool's main centre-forward. The Dutchman combines considerable physical presence with a ferocious work ethic and has been a hit with both the fans and Benitez in his first season at Anfield. There is however a question mark over whether he has the technique or the creative flair to really unsettle defenders of the calibre of Nesta and Paolo Maldini. Both Kuyt, whose cancer-stricken father will be unable to attend the final, and Nesta, who was forced to sit out most of Italy's successful World Cup campaign, have their own individual incentives to finish the season with a winner's medal.