Champions League Final Preview: Redemption Time

It doesn’t get any more traditional than Bayern Munich v Internazionale as far as the European Cup goes. With no less than six titles between them, these two giants of the European game should serve up a true clash of the titans when the Champions League Final kicks off in Madrid on Saturday night.

Yet, rather than consolidation, it will be redemption that will be on the mind of these two clubs as they battle for football’s biggest prize. It’s been nine long years since Bayern were crowned champions of Europe, beating Valencia on penalties to win its 4th title, yet that’s nothing in comparison to Inter’s 45-year wait. The Milan club haven’t tasted success in this competition since winning back-to-back titles under the legendary Helenio Herrera in 1964 and 1965.

But - for all that pedigree’s worth - that’s all history now, and Saturday’s game would very much be about the here and now.

All the talk has so far revolved around Inter and their celebrity coach, the “Special One”, Jose Mourinho, and that’s not without good reason too. Having seen off both Chelsea and defending champions Barcelona, Inter have more than earned their favourite status for this final. But their credentials reach far beyond those impressive results. While the whole football world has been preoccupied with Real Madrid’s so-called “Galacticos”, Mourinho as quietly put together a squad capable of going toe-to-toe with any in Europe.

Inter’s back five include three players (Julio Cesar, Maicon, Lucio) that will start for World Cup favourites Brazil in South Africa in June, one hard-as nails Argentina starter (Walter Samuel) and a vastly experienced full back in captain Javier Zanetti.

In midfield, another experienced Argentine (Esteban Cambiasso) offers defensive security and neat distribution, while a brilliant Dutch schemer (Wesley Sneidjer) serves up the creation and invention for the strikers to polish off.

And they are no lightweights upfront too: Samuel Eto’o is a two-time Champions League winner – scoring in both finals – and Diego Milito, another World Cup-bound Argentine, finished the Serie A season with 22 goals.

Then there’s the depth that the likes of Marco Materrazzi, Christian Chivu, Dejan Stankovic, Goran Pandev, Sulley Muntari and Mario Balotelli provide.

Inter play decent, effective football, but aesthetics won’t be Mourinho’s primary goal, and as his team as showed time and again, work ethic is their watchword and they can defend with the very best of them. Watching Eto’o harry and chase Barcelona in wide areas at the Camp Nou, it was clear to see why Mourinho had gladly swapped Zlatan Ibrahimovic for the Cameroonian last summer. Can you even imagine the big Swede taking to defensive duties in such fashion? Not likely.

In contrast, German champions Bayern will look to play the patient passing game that is the hallmark of Louis Van Gaal’s favoured 4-4-2, and that proved so effective against Man Utd in the quarter finals. Of course, while Van Gaal may not currently enjoy the celebrity status of his counterpart, he is no flash in the pan either, having produced that amazing Ajax team that reached two Champions League finals in the mid-90s, before winning two league titles in Spain with Barcelona.

Bayern don’t quite boast the marquee names that make Inter such a formidable side – their success has more to do with teamwork – and Franck Ribery’s suspension leaves them without one of their biggest stars. But Bayern are no pushovers either.

Right back Phillip Lahm is one the best defenders in the world; Argentine Martin Demichelis forms an impressive, if inconsistent, partnership with Daniel van Buyten in central defence; and captain Mark van Bommel – a winner with Barcelona in 2006 – brings neat passing, industry and direction to a midfield that also includes German star Bastien Schweinsteiger.

Dutch winger Arjen Robben as already played a huge part in getting Bayern to the final -scoring crucial spectacular goals against Juventus, Fiorentina, Man U and Lyon – and they might well need something special from him again.

Upfront, newcomer Thomas Muller is likely to start, alongside the prolific Croatian Ivica Olic – although van Gaal may well plump for the power of Mario Gomez or the experience of Miro Klose.

These finals seldom see both sides at their best and it’s hard to imagine this one being the spectacle we all hope for. Two well organized sides, coached by two perfectionists with a keen eye for detail, would point to a close, cagy affair.

Bayern look the more likely to blink – van Buyten and Demichelis may just find Eto’o and Milito to hot to handle. Yet, if they keep the game close and Robben finds another magical moment, they might just sneak it.

It’s hard to bet against Mourinho though, so I’ll stick my neck out and pick Inter to end their 45 year drought and make it European Cup No.3.

And it’s about time too.

Hot Hotspurs!

Well, if this wasn’t the most exciting end to a Premiership season in a long time, I am hard pressed to recall one. Not only did the title race drag on till the very last game – with Chelsea making sure with that eight-goal drubbing of Wigan at the Bridge – the race for fourth place, the last of the Champions League places, proved an even more intriguing contest with no less than four clubs still in the hunt with a handful of rounds to go.
In the end, London club Tottenham Hotspurs took the spoils after seeing off nouveau riche Man City in a winner-takes-all face-off at the City of Manchester Stadium in the penultimate round.

Of course, that win only capped what has been a truly remarkable season for Harry Redknapp’s side, and when you consider that they finished the season with perhaps the toughest schedule of the club’s chasing fourth-place, there can be no denying that they richly deserve their place amongst Europe’s elite next season.

I will confess that I was one of those who doubted ‘Spurs ability to survive a one week spell that would see them face Arsenal, Chelsea and Man U in consecutive matches. After all, this was the very kind of test upon which Spurs’ previous attempts to breach the top four had foundered miserably in seasons past. Yet, despite losing the last of those matches at Old Trafford, impressive wins in the first two firmly established Spurs top four creds and helped build an ultimately unbeatable lead.

Redknapp will take most of the credit for Spurs achievement, especially considering that the club was floundering in the relegation zone when he arrived at White Hart Lane in October 2008. There’s no question he has put his mark on a Spurs side that seemed to have lost its motivation after beating Chelsea to win the 2008 Carling Cup. Although he inherited a decent enough squad, Redknapp, as is his wont, has bought often – and wisely - since arriving, bringing in Sebastian Bassong and Younes Kaboul to strengthen an injury-prone backline; Wilson Palacios to add bite to midfield, and England forwards Peter Crouch and Jermaine Defoe.

More significantly, Redknapp imbued his team with a confident, attacking mindset, especially in the run-in, when they were well rewarded with those big name scalps. The Man City win was especially telling of the new Spurs. Despite the high-stakes and the fact that a draw would have still left them ahead of City with one game to play, Redknapp started with his most attacking line-up, leaving out the defensive Palacios for Huddlestone, starting fast wingers Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale, and Defoe and Crouch upfront.

And so on to the Champions League next season and Redknapp will be hoping his teams fortunes do not mirror that of Everton – the last team outside the so-called “Big Four” to reach the big stage. They didn’t make it past the qualifying round.