Champions League Final: Match Analysis and Pick
By LARRY O'CONNOR
Bayern Munich (+249) vs. Inter Milan (+133)
This wasn’t the final soccer fans thought they would get. Bayern Munich needed a missed offside call to get past Fiorentina in the round of 16 and they bested Manchester United in the quarterfinals despite being heavy underdogs.
Inter are always among the top European clubs but many thought, including the oddsmakers, that defending champion Barcelona would be too much for the Italian side.
We’re left with two clubs who are both gunning for the crown jewel of a potential triple title season. And don't think the Champions League final isn't a big deal because the World Cup is just around the corner.
"This game is the most important in the world," Inter manager Jose Mourinho told the media. "It is even bigger than the World Cup because the teams in it are at a higher level than national teams, who can't buy the best players."
What everyone’s talking about
Inter's controversial manager Mourinho has reportedly agreed to take over at Spanish La Liga giants Real Madrid.
Meanwhile, Bayern is without its star midfielder Franck Ribery, whose three-match ban for his deplorable over-the-ball challenge against Lyon was upheld by an arbitrator this week.
How these developments will affect the respective teams is one of the many subplots in a roiling run up to one of the best Champions League match ups in recent history. Few could argue that these are two evenly matched teams at the height of their form as they enter Saturday's penultimate encounter.
How Bayern got here
Bayern's so-so start in Bundesliga and Champions League play morphed into a swagger that has seen the Bavarian side capture its 22nd league title and add a 14th German Cup to its astonishing resume.
They closed out Bundesliga season by winning four of their six matches (drawing in the other two) and scoring their opponents 17-4 over the stretch. They also easily dispatched Lyon 4-0 in the Champions League semifinal.
While left winger Arjen Robben gets much of the credit for Bayern’s turnaround this season, followers of the German club will point out that Ivica Olic played just as large of a part.
Olic began the season as the team’s fourth option at striker behind big names stars Miroslav Klose, Mario Gomez and Luca Toni. But Olic seized his opportunities and came through in the clutch, particularly in the first leg against Man United.
“For a while in the spring I played less and only really got into my stride again when scoring the winner in the quarter-final against Manchester United,” Olic told ESPN.com. “Maybe the coach underestimated me a little, but things have worked out in the end.”
Robben and Olic both need to play well for Bayern to create scoring chances against Inter, especially with playmaker winger and arguably the club’s best player Ribery unavailable.
How Inter got here
Inter Milan's season has seen a similar upward trajectory as Mourinho's men bagged their 18th Serie A title this month and won the Italian Cup.
In their respective Champions League campaigns, Inter has the emotional edge after staving off favored Barcelona in an enthralling second-leg semifinal at the Nou Camp despite being down to 10 men.
Inter's return to Spanish soil – Real Madrid's Estadio Bernabeu – for the final is tantalizing for obvious reasons. Mourihno would like nothing more than to lift the European crown on his new employer's front lawn.
More over, Inter's players are eager to erase the 45-year gulf in winning Europe's top trophy. Internazionale last won the title in 1965 when it beat Benfica 1-0 at the San Siro.
"People laughed when I said my primary target when I joined Inter was the Champions League, but the smiles are not there now," Eto'o told reporters leading up to the final. "Inter had a history of falling short in this competition, but we were all determined to change this attitude that this club had no chance in European competition."
Meet the managers
At stake for the managers is a chance to become only the third boss to lead two different clubs to a Europe title. Mourinho won the European Cup as manager of Porto in 2004 while Bayern manager Louis Van Gaal collected the cup as Ajax boss in 1995.
In another twist, Mourinho briefly served as an assistant under Van Gaal at Barcelona before being broomed by the Dutch coach. The revenge factor has likely dissipated in 15 years, but The Special One is not likely to forget any slights.
The styles of play between the two managers are far apart. Mourinho used a disciplined defensive scheme to best Barcelona and he’s sure to summon the same strategy against Van Gaal’s self titled brand of “beautiful football”.
Players to watch
On the field, where titles are won, the clubs feature two tremendously gifted Dutch midfielders in Bayern's Arjen Robben and Inter's Wesley Sneijder.
Robben poached a team-leading 16 goals in Bundesliga play and has four markers during the Champions League run. The Dutch maestro links up well with the aforementioned Olic, who leads Bayern with seven Champions League tallies.
Sneijder is a deft passer and, when needed, an accomplished marksman. The Dutchman's midfielder chicanery is complemented by the lethal strike duo of Argentine forward Alberto Diego Milito (22 goals in Serie A and four in CL play) and Cameroonian Samuel Eto'o (12 goals in Serie A and two in CL).
What to expect
Inter's depth in midfield coupled with an impenetrable backline led by goalkeeper Julio Cesar makes The Special One's charges poised to erase four decades of Euro disappointment.
Prediction: Inter Milan 2, Bayern 1