Roman Abramovich may dream about Chelsea playing free-flowing attacking football but George Graham believes their Champions League hopes rest on the rock-solid defence of John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho.

Manchester United go into the final here having scored 109 goals in all competitions with no fewer than 78 of them coming from the frontline trio of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez.

And with United so potent up front, former Arsenal manager Graham has picked out the centre-halves Terry and Carvalho as the key for Chelsea tomorrow.

"John Terry is their Tony Adams," said Graham. "You need a character like that in the heart of your defence. I was lucky to have Tony and they're lucky to have John Terry. I'm also a big fan of Ricardo Carvalho.

"He'd drive you mad if you were playing against him because he has the ability to out-think you and nick the ball from you before you've controlled it. He sizes everything up and, with Terry alongside him, gives Chelsea a wonderful combination of strength and intelligence.

"Both sides have outstanding defences and in midfield, too. At the front, though, I have to give the edge to United. They've got goalscorers in Rooney and Tevez but Ronaldo is the player who can make the difference. So much depends on how the Chelsea defenders cope with him."

The brilliant Portugal winger has never scored against Chelsea in 12 competitive matches.

Despite that, Graham said: "I think most neutrals would back Ronaldo to score. He's got 41 already this season. What makes him so exceptional is the fact essentially he's a winger.

"He's got the quickest feet I've seen and the fact he has the freedom to roam across the width of the pitch makes him very difficult to mark."

Graham's Arsenal sides were renowned for winning 1-0 and they won the European Cup Winners' Cup by that score against Parma in 1994.

He said: "If you play a functional game and win 1-0 the record books still show you were the champions. I think it'll be a tight game between two well-organised teams. It's a difficult match to call but I just favour United because of their greater firepower."