UEFA Champions League Final - Magic In Madrid For Mourinho

Last night, the city of magnificent Madrid belonged to the magic that is Jose Mourinho.  And it probably will for a good time to come, if the rumours are to be believed that he is destined for future management at the Bernabeau. 

His Inter Milan side coasted to a solid and impressive 2-0 success in the UEFA Champions League final, against a limp Bayern Munich side.  Inter didn’t need to be spectacular to seal their success, but their strengths in Jose’s tactical gameplay saw him overcome his mentor at Barcelona at the beginning of the century, Louis van Gaal.  Argentine Diego Milito, who has scored thirty goals in Serie A this season was the natural difference between the two sides, who two quality finishes that will have an on looking Diego Maradona licking his lips in anticipation with the World Cup just three weeks later.  Milito’s deadly finishing will have the likes of Carlos Tevez, Gonzalo Higuain and Sergio Aguero worried over a first-team place ahead of the Argies opening group game against Nigeria on June 12^th.

After a bright opening, Inter faded badly, but against the run of play, took the crucial advantage ten minutes before half-time.  Julio Cesar’s hopeful kick up field found Milito, who combined brilliantly with the Inter playmaker, Wesley Snejider.  An interchange of passes followed, and Milito left his national countryman Martin Demichellis for dead, before coolly dispatching his effort past the advancing Hans-Jorg Butt.  After the break, Bayern attempted to get back into the game and their young German striker Thomas Muller came close, thwarted by the excellent Cesar, whose goalkeeping seems to get better with every passing match.  With twenty minutes to go and the dynamic Miroslav Klose on the pitch, Munich was ready to throw everything at the Italian defence, notably without a single Italian in the starting eleven.  However, just as they attempted this tactic, Inter produced another of those traditional breakaways, sealing the match in clinical fashion.

Snejider was fouled in the build-up, but English referee Howard Webb, who had a faultless game played on and the ball eventually reached Milito, who once again had the firm measure of Demichellis and his centre-back partner, Daniel Van Buyten.  Once again, his finish was emphatic, leaving Butt without a hope and Bayern without a prayer.  Van Gaal’s side looked inept of ideas, with Franck Ribery suspended and Arjen Robben man-marked by the experienced duo of Christian Chivu and Javier Zanetti. 

So, it was Mourinho’s night as he wrapped up a historic treble for Inter and their first European Cup in over forty years.  Time and again, they have flattered to deceive in this competition, as the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United have brushed them aside with apparent ease.  It took the ‘Special One’ to unlock the cherished grail as he became only the third coach to win the European Cup with two different clubs.  Both Chelsea and Barcelona tumbled out to the Italians, who have firmly established themselves as a real leading powerhouse in European football.  However, whether the magic that Mourinho has will be passed onto his successor remains to be seen.  Jose Mourinho’s mission was for Inter Milan to become Champions of Europe, and this he had achieved.  Next destination surely is to tackle Barcelona’s dominance of La Liga with the underachieving stars that are Real Madrid.   

UEFA Champions League Semi-Final Review - Jose's Greatest Triumph

The semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League have given the past fortnight plenty of drama and a final, that nobody probably could have predicted way back at the start of the season.  Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan will come face-to-face with Louis Van Gaal’s Bayern Munich in Madrid on May 22^nd.  Whatever happens, either manager will become only the third coach in European Cup history to win the title with two different clubs, (Van Gaal with Ajax in 1995 & Mourinho in 2004 with FC Porto.) 

Mourinho claimed Wednesday night’s aggregate victory over his former employers, Barcelona as his greatest triumph in football history.  It was another piece of tactical masterstroke genius from Mourinho, who outwitted Carlo Ancelotti and Chelsea in Round Two, and now has Pepe Guardiola on his winning CV too.  Although Goran Pandev went down with a thigh injury moments before the game, the decision to bring Christian Chivu into the line-up, instead of another attacker was an inspired choice by the Special One.

Carrying a 3-1 lead from the first leg in the San Siro, any attacking hopes at the Nou Camp for the Italians were wiped away by a spectacular piece of playacting from Barcelona’s Sergio Busquets.  His 28^th minute ‘pole axed’ impression got the former Barca midfielder, Thiago Motta sent off, when TV replays suggested Motta only fended Busquets off, rather than elbowed him, as the reaction suggested.  Though Motta should know better for the experience he has of the big occasion, the Brazilian can count himself unlucky.  Following a bust-up involving both benches, plus some choice words between Mourinho and Guardiola, the match settled down into an attack versus defence game of chess. 

Eventually, Barcelona brokethrough with seven minutes to go, when the ex-Manchester United centre-back, Gerard Pique went forward and showed a genuine piece of quality skill that would make the insipid Zlatan Ibrahimovic eat your heart out.  His cool finish gave the Catalans the hope, which nearly turned into reality when Bojan scored in injury-time, only for the goal to be wiped out, courtesy of an earlier handball from Yaya Toure.  At the final whistle, Barcelona sank to their knees, whilst Mourinho ran onto the pitch, with one hand in the air, pointing at the Milan fans in sheer delight.  An ugly confrontation with the Spanish goalkeeper Victor Valdes followed, but it was Jose’s night and no-one was going to spoil this moment for him.

Bayern Munich had a much easier time of it, overcoming a timid Lyon outfit 4-0 on aggregate, with an impressive 3-0 success in France on Tuesday night.  Despite overcoming the likes of Liverpool and Real Madrid on their way to the last four, Lyon had failed to capture my imagination and their negativity in the first leg in the Allianz Arena was horrifying to see.  Despite Franck Ribery’s crude challenge on Lisandro Lopez, which earned a deserved red card and suspension from the final, Bayern always looked in command and another stunner from Arjen Robben gave them a narrow advantage to take to the Stade de Gerland.  Although Cris’s sending off for the hosts was ridiculous, Munich found this to be comfortable Tuesday night stroll.  Croatian Ivica Olic, who scored two critical goals against Manchester United, clinched a masterful hat-trick to see the Germans progress to their first final in nine years.

For the first time in its seventeen year history, the UEFA Champions League final will be held on a Saturday night, in an effort to win more of a primetime TV audience.  Despite their being no English presence for the first time since 2004, this game could turn into a classic.  Madrid is a wonderful occasion; let’s hope we have a game to remember in three weeks time, between two of the European superpowers, who have had lean spells of late, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich.