Nairaland Forum

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.

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: [/i]Butt; Lahm, Van Buyten, Demichelis, Badstuber; Robben, Schweinsteiger, Van Bommel, Altintop; Mueller, Olic

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Inter

[i]Wesley Sneijder [/i]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

[i]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.

GOAL

UP Jose!
Inter all da way

i beg no worry yourselves inter go loss ok

seguni:

i beg no worry yourselves inter go loss ok

says who?
7:45 PM 2moro

khanye abeg input time for the subject.

For the love of ETO, Bayern is going down.

And that so called Dayo of a guy feels too hyped up.
So my middle finger to him and his team.

Let the best team win. I see this one going down the wire. Penalties will most likely decide this one.
Mourinho and his Inter team had better comeup with a better strategy other than 'parking the airplane'. If they sit back and allow Bayern do the play, they will get hurt.

Inter wins their trophy

forza inter! don't know what it means but i like it.

Bayern have tried to get to this stage.
The Florentina fiasco and the sending off of Rafael.
End of the road,Inter would win comfortably.
Muller and Olic vs Lucio and Samuel=Mismatch

@HNIC

Can we send somebody to watch the game with Dayo?

I am really worried.

Akolawole:

@HNIC

Can we send somebody to watch the game with Dayo?

I am really worried.

@Akolawole
Naah
Dayo will be here watching but won't post.
If Bayern wins, he will post at the end of the match
But if they lose, he will be on exile for at least 3 days minimum.
When barca anhiliated bayern in last season's CL, he disappeared for about 2 weeks.

Akolawole:

@HNIC

Can we send somebody to watch the game with Dayo?

I am really worried.

@ Akolawole,dont worry i am with Dayo,he is fine.he is on his 2nd bottle of heineken

FORZA INTER. . .get in!

Inter are the team attacking

Is there a link to watch this online?

Why is this not on the front page?

Wasteful shot from Maicon

This game has started on a high tempo, hope it's sustained.

Pharoh:

Why is this not on the front page?

That was a clear handball by maicon in the box.

Looking one sided as we speak
It's Inter doing the attacking

its kind of drab at the moment.

jalether:

That was a clear handball by maicon in the box.

Match of this magnitude, ref would obviously overlook clear incidents

Was that a goal attempt by Robben??

Go BM no way for inter to pack bus today

haaaaaaaaa Etoo & Millito don hide lol

bgees:

its kind of drab at the moment.

Neither one of the two managers favour all out attack footie like Barca or Arsenal

Bayern dominating obviously

Good save by BM-GK