Both Inter and Bayern Munich have enjoyed a season of terrific
domestic success, but as the two titanic clubs approach the final
of the Champions League – the undoubted highlight of the European
footballing calendar – both stand on the brink of a historic
treble.
Unique achievement will not simply lay at the feet of the players
of each squad. Coaches Jose Mourinho and Louis van Gaal, who are
student and mentor respectively, can both join an elite group of
trainers who have guided two different teams to success in the most
illustrious of club competitions. Put quite simply, history is on
the line in Madrid, fittingly the city most closely associated with
the European Cup.
Crowning Glory
Inter have been the dominant force in Serie A since the middle part
of the 2000s, but despite supremacy in one of the continent’s
toughest leagues, continental success has wholly eluded the
Nerazzurri over the course of almost 50 years. Back-to-back
European Cup victories in 1964 and 1965 are relics of a bygone age,
and ‘the Big Eared Cup’ is desired more than any other at La
Pinetina.
With the Serie A crown and the Coppa Italia already safely on
display in Inter’s burgeoning trophy cabinet, all that remains to
cap a phenomenal season is a win on Saturday.
The path to the final has not been easy for the Beneamata. Pitted
against Barcelona in the group stages, Mourinho’s men needed a
final day success over Rubin Kazan to see off the Russian champions
and Dynamo Kyiv to claim the second qualifying berth from a
potentially awkward pool.
It was in the knockout stages where Inter truly began to flourish.
A reunion with former club Chelsea provided Mourinho with a chance
to showcase the Italian side’s title-winning credentials, with a
2-1 home success followed up by a textbook 1-0 victory in London.
CSKA Moscow provided stubborn but ultimately toothless opposition
in the quarter-finals as the Nerazzurri recorded a couple of 1-0
victories, before a rematch with Barcelona.
After falling 1-0 down in the opening leg, it seemed a case of
business as usual for the reigning champions, but Inter gritted
their teeth and raised their level to claim a memorable 3-1 victory
at San Siro. The second leg at Camp Nou proved to be a tactical
masterclass from Mourinho and his Beneamata squad. Only in the
closing stages of the match did Barca truly threaten to overturn
the two goal deficit, but the Catalans’ brilliant attacking unit
couldn’t fathom a method by which to break down ten-man Inter
twice.
Having already led Porto to Champions League success in 2004,
Mourinho stands potentially only 90 minutes shy of repeating the
feat with Inter, quite possibly ending an eventful spell in Italy
by claiming the club game’s crowning glory.
Slow Starters, Strong Finishers
The 2009-10 campaign hasn’t all been smooth sailing for Bayern
Munich, but after settling down following a poor start to the
campaign, FCB can justifiably approach Saturday’s final with
genuine hope of success.
The early weeks of Bundesliga play suggested that die Roten may
struggle to adapt to Louis van Gaal’s methods as the newly
appointed boss presided over only five victories in the opening 13
games of the season.
Europe was proving to be equally hard on the Bavarians, who lost
twice to Girondins de Bordeaux and travelled to face Juventus on
matchday 6 of the group stage knowing that only a win or a high
scoring draw would be enough to preserve their status in the
continent’s biggest club competition. Having already shown some
improvement domestically, the match on December 8 proved a
watershed for FCB’s campaign as they recovered from 1-0 down to
record a fantastic 4-1 success.
With Van Gaal’s side starting to pick up results regularly at home,
they were ready to flourish abroad. A controversial goal from
Miroslav Klose gave die Roten the edge over Fiorentina heading into
the second leg of the round of 16 tie, but it took a miraculous
strike from Arjen Robben in Florence to ultimately send the Germans
through on the away goals rule.
Robben was the hero in the quarter-finals against Manchester
United, thundering home a remarkable volley at Old Trafford to act
as the differentiating factor in a see-saw tie. After only a couple
of minutes of the first leg, Wayne Rooney had the Red Devils ahead,
but Franck Ribery and Ivica Olic turned that tie late. When United
moved into a 3-0 advantage in England the contest seemed over, but
a red card to Rafael and a goal late in the first half set the
scene for Dutch ace Robben to again intervene spectacularly as time
ticked away.
By comparison, the semi-final against Olympique Lyonnais was a
routine affair. The French side rarely looked in the same class as
their opponents, and after winning the first leg 1-0 – Robben
inevitably the scorer – Olic took centre stage at Stade Gerland by
scoring a hat-trick in a 3-0 rout.
Oozing with confidence after picking up the Bundesliga a fortnight
ago and the DFB Pokal last Saturday, Bayern aim to complete a
remarkable hat-trick by defeating Inter and thereby claiming a
fifth European crown; an achievement that would equal the efforts
of Liverpool.
FORM GUIDE
Inter
WON 1-0 (a) Siena (Serie A, May 16)
WON 4-3 (h) Chievo (Serie A, May 9)
WON 1-0 (n) Roma (Coppa Italia, May 5)
WON 2-0 (a) Lazio (Serie A, May 2)
LOST 1-0 (a) Barcelona (Champions League, April 28)
Bayern Munich
WON 4-0 (n) Werder Bremen (DFB Pokal, May 15)
WON 3-1 (a) Hertha (Bundesliga, May 8)
WON 3-1 (h) Bochum (Bundesliga, May 1)
WON 3-0 (a) Olympique Lyonnais (Champions League, April 27)
DREW 1-1 (a) Borussia Moenchengladbach (Bundesliga, April 24)
TEAM NEWS
Inter
Davide Santon’s injury-plagued 2010 campaign will continue as the
young full-back will miss out on a berth in Inter’s squad due to
injury. Ivan Cordoba is doubtful, while Wesley Sneijder had to be
replaced in the recent league encounter against Siena due to
cramps, though the offensive midfielder is fully expected to
feature on Saturday.
Thiago Motta is banned after being sent-off in Barcelona.
Jose Mourinho will likely deploy his squad in a 4-3-3 formation,
with the major question being whether he selects mercurial
youngster Mario Balotelli in attack, or plumps with Goran Pandev
instead.
Probable Starting XI: Cesar; Maicon, Samuel, Lucio, Zanetti;
Stankovic, Sneijder, Cambiasso; Eto’o, Milito, Pandev
Bayern Munich
There has been a great furore caused by the German club over Franck
Ribery’s suspension, but after appeals to both UEFA and the CAS
(Court of Arbitration for Sport), the ban has been upheld and the
Frenchman won’t play any role. Instead, Hamit Altintop will likely
feature on the left hand side of the midfield.
With no injury problems to speak of, coach Louis van Gaal will
otherwise boast a full panel of players, with the only position in
question seemingly the left-back role, where Holger Badstuber or
the less experienced Diego Contento, who is more naturally gifted
in that role, could feature.
Probable Starting XI: Butt; Lahm, Van Buyten, Demichelis,
Badstuber; Robben, Schweinsteiger, Van Bommel, Altintop; Mueller,
Olic
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Inter
Wesley Sneijder was on the books of Real Madrid 12 months
ago. Shunted out the door of the Bernabeu to make way for a raft of
signings designed to lead los Blancos to the Champions League, the
25-year-old Dutchman has instead powered Inter back to his former
home ground, with los Merengues long eliminated. The attacking
midfielder, who is 137th in the Castrol Rankings, has played a
pivotal role in Inter’s campaign, with three crucial goals in the
Beneamata’s European run to date. Dangerous from free kicks and
with an ability to pick out seemingly impossible passes, he will
have to be closely policed.
Bayern Munich
Arjen Robben, another player to be employed by Real Madrid
only a year past, has acted as the talisman for his side’s
progression deep into the Champions League. The Dutchman has shown
an unerring eye for goal at crucial times, shouldering the burden
of Franck Ribery’s frequently injury-enforced absences. With the
Frenchman banned from Saturday’s fixture, the onus will once again
be on the Bedum-born ace to come up with the offensive goods. At
times this season the player rated 10 in the Castrol Rankings has
been unplayable.
PREDICTION
There can be little doubt that Inter have had to pick their way
through the hardest sector of the draw, and to that end they should
start the match as favourites. Though the match-up between Jose
Mourinho and Louis van Gaal is fascinating, the Portuguese has the
greater strength in depth to his squad, with Inter’s defensive nous
likely to make the difference in a tactical affair.
Inter 2-0 Bayern Munich
