Champions League Final - THE TREBLE - Internazionale 2 - 0 Bayern München

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Re: CL Final Thread: Bayern München v. Internazionale - May 22nd on FoxHD

Club football's biggest prize is at stake when two of the great names of the European game, FC Bayern München and FC Internazionale Milano, cross swords in the climax to the 2009/10 UEFA Champions League season in Madrid.

• The Santiago Bernabéu, home of Real Madrid CF, will stage the showdown between a Bayern side seeking their fifth European crown and an Inter team looking to lift the trophy for the first time in 45 years.

• Bayern go into the game seeking a third Italian scalp in this term's competition having already eliminated Juventus and ACF Fiorentina but Inter have their own reasons to believe, not least their impressive dethroning of the holders, FC Barcelona, in the semi-finals.

• The personal history between coaches Louis van Gaal and José Mourinho enhances the intrigue with the latter having worked as assistant to the current Bayern boss at Barcelona between 1997 and 2000.

• Both men are past winners of the competition and each will join the exclusive club of coaches who have guided more than one team to European Champion Clubs' Cup success if victorious in the Spanish capital.

Previous meetings
• This is the fifth match between Bayern and Inter whose most recent encounter came in the 2006/07 UEFA Champions League group stage. Patrick Vieira's added-time equaliser earned Inter a 1-1 draw in Munich on 5 December 2006, cancelling out Roy Makaay's 62nd-minute opener.

• The teams that night were:
Bayern: Kahn, Sagnol, Lucio, Van Buyten, Lahm, Ottl, Salihamidži? (Deisler 79), Van Bommel (Demichelis 73), Schweinsteiger, Pizarro, Makaay (Santa Cruz 83).
Inter: Toldo, Zanetti, Samuel, Andreolli, Maicon, Vieira, Mariano González, Maxwell, Solari (Grosso 83), Ibrahimovi? (Crespo 46), Figo (Recoba 70).

• Bayern had earned a 2-0 win at Inter on 27 September that year, courtesy of goals from Claudio Pizarro (81) and Lukas Podoski (91). Inter finished with nine men after the second-half dismissals of Zlatan Ibrahimovi? and Fabio Grosso.

• The lineups at San Siro were:
Inter: Julio Cesar, Maicon, Córdoba, Materazzi, Grosso, Zanetti, Figo (Mariano González 67), Dacourt, Stankovi? (Solari 77), Ibrahimovi?, Crespo (Adriano 77).
Bayern: Kahn, Sagnol, Lucio, Van Buyten, Lahm, Salihamidži? (Scholl 70), Van Bommel, Ottl, Schweinsteiger, Pizarro (Podolski 89), Makaay (Santa Cruz 82).

• Felix Magath and Roberto Mancini were the respective coaches for those ties in 2006/07 and it was Magath's Bayern who topped the group with Inter second.

• Bayern produced a spectacular comeback to defeat Inter in the clubs' only two-legged contest in the 1988/89 UEFA Cup third round.

• Inter had looked set to progress when Aldo Serena (60) and Nicola Berti (71) gave them a 2-0 first-leg win in Munich on 23 November 1988. But Bayern struck three goals in eight first-half minutes in the return through Roland Wohlfarth (33), Klaus Augenthaler (37) and Jürgen Wegmann (40). Although Serena pulled a goal back just before the break, Bayern's 3-1 win carried them through on away goals.

• Jupp Heynckes was in charge of Bayern with Giovanni Trapattoni, a future coach of the Bavarian club, at the Inter helm.

Match background
• Bayern, winners most recently in 2001, are seeking to join Liverpool FC on five European Cup wins and so become the joint-third most successful club in the competition's history behind Real Madrid and AC Milan.

• Bayern's record in European Cup finals is four wins and three defeats:
1974: 4-0 v Club Atlético de Madrid, Brussels
(replay after 1-1 draw)
1975: 2-0 v Leeds United AFC, Paris
1976: 1-0 v AS Saint-Etienne, Glasgow
1982: 0-1 v Aston Villa FC, Rotterdam
1987: 1-2 v FC Porto, Vienna
1999: 1-2 v Manchester United FC, Barcelona
2001: 1-1 v Valencia CF, 5-4 on penalties, Milan

• Bayern also won the 1967 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final and 1996 UEFA Cup final.

• Inter are hoping to secure their first European crown since Helenio Herrera steered them to back-to-back triumphs in the mid-60s. With a third win, Inter would join Barcelona and Manchester United FC on three European Cups.

• Inter's record in European Cup finals is two wins and two draws:
1964: 3-1 v Real Madrid CF, Vienna
1965: 1-0 v SL Benfica, Milan
1967: 1-2 v Celtic FC, Lisbon
1972: 0-2 v AFC Ajax, Rotterdam

• Inter appeared in four UEFA Cup finals in the 1990s, winning in 1991, 1994 and 1998 but losing in 1997.

• Javier Zanetti was in the Nerazzurri side that lost the 1997 UEFA Cup final on penalties against FC Schalke 04 but lifted the trophy the following year with a 3-0 victory against S.S. Lazio, scoring the second goal.

• Bayern were 4-1 winners at Juventus in Turin in December to qualify for the knockout rounds at the Bianconeri's expense, finishing second behind FC Girondins de Bordeaux in Group A. They then squeezed past Fiorentina on away goals in the round of 16, following a 2-1 home win with a 3-2 reverse in Tuscany.

• Bayern subsequently edged past Manchester United FC in another away-goals success before beating Olympique Lyonnais 4-0 on aggregate in the last four.

• With four defeats en route to Madrid, Bayern have lost more games than any finalist since Milan, the champions in 2002/03 who suffered four reverses in the competition proper and another in qualifying.

• Like Bayern, Inter were runners-up in the group stage, finishing behind Barcelona in Group F. They have since ousted Mourinho's old club Chelsea FC and PFC CSKA Moskva before a 3-2 aggregate success against Barcelona in the semi-finals.

• Both clubs have played the same number of matches (28) against teams from the rival country, but Inter have the superior record:
Bayern v Italian clubs: P28 W9 D7 L12
Inter v German clubs: P28 W13 D8 L7

• Van Gaal has twice faced Italian opposition in the UEFA Champions League final. In 1995 his Ajax team overcame Milan 1-0, losing the following season's showpiece to Juventus after a penalty shoot-out.

• Van Gaal guided Ajax to victory against Torino FC in the 1992 UEFA Cup final.

• Inter's most recent encounter with Bundesliga opposition came against Werder Bremen in last season's group stage – they drew 1-1 at home and lost 2-1 away.

• Van Gaal and Mourinho have both won the European Cup before – Van Gaal with Ajax in 1995 and Mourinho in 2004 with FC Porto. Whoever prevails will become the third coach to have lifted the famous trophy with two different clubs, following Ernst Happel and Ottmar Hitzfeld.

• Thirteen years separated Happel's successes with Feyenoord (1970) and Hamburger SV (1983) meaning Van Gaal would establish a record for the longest gap between European Cup triumphs if he emerged victorious. Hitzfeld's wins came with BV Borussia Dortmund (1997) and Bayern (2001).

• This is Bayern's tenth visit to the Santiago Bernabéu. Their record from nine previous matches there is W2 D1 L6.

• Mark van Bommel hit Bayern's second goal in the 88th minute of their 3-2 defeat at the stadium in a last-16 meeting with Real Madrid in the 2006/07 UEFA Champions League. His strike set up an eventual away-goals triumph for the Bavarian side, 2-1 victors in the second leg.

• Bayern visited the Bernabéu twice in 1999/2000. They won 4-2 in the UEFA Champions League second group stage in February 2000, but then suffered a 2-0 defeat by Madrid in the first leg of a semi-final that they lost 3-2 on aggregate.

• The following season Giovane Elber's strike secured a 1-0 semi-final first-leg success at the Bernabéu en route to Bayern winning the trophy.

• Inter have won one and lost six of seven previous matches at the Bernabéu.

• Zanetti featured on their most recent visit for a 2-0 defeat in the 1998/99 UEFA Champions League group stage.

• Inter have lost four semi-finals against Real Madrid after defeats in the Spanish capital, suffering spectacular reverses in successive UEFA Cup campaigns.

• In 1984/85 Inter's 2-0 first-leg lead disappeared as Madrid overwhelmed them 3-0 at the Bernabéu. The following season the Nerazzurri succumbed 5-1 after extra time in Madrid following a 3-1 home success. Final ambassador Emilio Butragueño was in the Merengues' lineup that day.

• Inter's only win at the Bernabéu came in the 1966/67 European Cup quarter-final against Madrid when a Renato Cappellini strike and Ignacio Zoco own goal earned the Italian side a 2-0 second-leg success and 3-0 aggregate triumph.

Team ties
• Mourinho got the better of Bayern in the 2004/05 quarter-finals, although he was suspended for both legs of that contest. His Chelsea side won 4-2 in London before going down 3-2 in Munich.

• Two members of the Bayern squad have played in a UEFA Champions League final – Hans-Jörg Butt in Bayer 04 Leverkusen's 2002 defeat by Real Madrid and Van Bommel in Barcelona's 2006 victory against Arsenal FC.

• Samuel Eto'o played alongside Van Bommel in Barcelona's 2006 success, scoring the first goal, and hit the target again when the Azulgrana defeated Manchester United in last seasons's final.

• Lucio, meanwhile, was a team-mate of Butt in the 2002 defeat, scoring Leverkusen's goal.

• With a goal against Bayern, Eto'o would become the first player in the UEFA Champions League era to find the net in three finals. Only Real Madrid's Alfredo di Stéfano has managed the feat previously – he scored in five successive finals between 1956 and 1960.

• Arjen Robben played under Mourinho at Chelsea from 2004 to 2007, winning two Premier League titles at Stamford Bridge.

• Esteban Cambiasso spent two years with Madrid's B team from 1996 to 1998 then, after four seasons on loan back in Argentina, joined the Merengues' senior squad from 2002 to 2004 before moving to Inter. Walter Samuel was there for 2004/05 while Wesley Sneijder spent two seasons at Madrid alongside Robben from 2007 to 2009.

• Cambiasso had a spot-kick saved when his Argentina side lost on penalties to Germany in the 2006 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals. Miroslav Klose had scored Germany's equaliser in a 1-1 draw that also featured the Bavarian side's Philipp Lahm and Bastian Schweinsteiger.

• The Bayern trio came unstuck in the semi-finals, however, against an Italy side that included Marco Materazzi.

• Two famous names of European football, Lothar Matthäus as a player and Trapattoni as a coach, hold the distinction of having won domestic titles with both Bayern and Inter.

• This is the third final between German and Italian teams – on both previous occasions the Bundesliga side prevailed:
1983: Hamburger SV 1-0 Juventus
1997: BV Borussia Dortmund 3-1 Juventus

• The Santiago Bernabéu has hosted three previous European Cup finals:
1957: Real Madrid CF 2-0 ACF Fiorentina
1969: AC Milan 4-1 AFC Ajax
1980: Nottingham Forest FC 1-0 Hamburger SV

• The stadium also hosted the 1964 UEFA European Championship final and the 1982 World Cup final when Italy beat West Germany 3-1. Alessandro Altobelli, then an Inter player, scored Italy's third goal in that final, the German consolation coming from Bayern's Paul Breitner.

• Bayern's record in penalty shoot-outs is:
5-4 v Valencia CF, 2000/01 UEFA Champions League final
9-8 v PAOK FC, 1983/84 UEFA Cup second round
4-3 v Åtvidaberg FF, 1973/74 European Champion Clubs' Cup first round

• Inter's record is:
1-4 v FC Schalke 04, 1996/97 UEFA Cup final
5-3 v Grazer AK, 1996/97 UEFA Cup second round
3-4 v Aston Villa FC, 1994/95 UEFA Cup first round
5-4 v Celtic FC, 1971/72 European Champion Clubs' Cup semi-final

• This season's UEFA Champions League final is the first to be played on a Saturday.

 

Re: CL Final Thread: Bayern München v. Internazionale - May 22nd on FoxHD

- Wesley Sneijder is confident he will feature in his side's starting XI in Madrid. "I got a kick on my leg and some blood came out, but I feel better now. I can walk on it so we will see what happens. Madrid is two-and-a-half weeks away, so first we will win the league and then we will look forward to the Champions League title."

- Both mentor and protege could be working for new clubs next season, as LvG has stated he will quit Bayern if he wins the treble, while TSO continues to be linked with Madrid.

- Darron Gibson takes a cue from manager SAF on how to lose with dignity and class...“It really is galling,” says Gibson. “We are so much better than Bayern and Lyon. Watching them play in the semi-finals was tough to take because you couldn’t help but think we’d have made it to the final.”

- Olic urges FCB to bring in his transfer-minded friend Nemanja Vidic from ManU. "He is definitely under contract at one of the best clubs in the world and he is absolutely one of the best defenders in England. But if he is really eyeing a transfer, Bayern should be a serious contender. I am always telling him - down here in Munich life is beautiful for you and your family."

- Spurs boss Harry Redknapp looks to spend big on David Silva and Bastian Schweinsteiger as the White Hart Lane club prepares for it's inaugural run in the Champions League.

 

Re: Champions League Final: Bayern München v. Internazionale - May 22 on FoxHD

Fox Soccer Channel has highlights of each matchday and subsequent round from 8PM - 10PM EST starting Tuesday night and culminating with the new preview show at 8PM on Friday night. Every Bayern and Inter game will be shown starting Monday with the group stages, these games are on during the day and late at night.

Sidenote: Premier League hour long 'goals of the season' show is on tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon and should be pretty entertaining.

 

Re: Champions League Final: Bayern München v. Internazionale - May 22 on FoxHD

German Cup Final:
FC Bayern 4 - 0 Werdern Bremen

'35 Robben (PK)
'51 Olic
'63 Ribery
'82 Schweinsteiger

Bayern have won the double! Will Inter make it a guarantee Treble winner next Saturday?...

 

Re: Champions League Final - THE TREBLE - Bayern München v Internazionale

 

Re: Champions League Final - THE TREBLE - Bayern München v Internazionale

crazy how history comes back and sometimes even works itself out. also notice their has been exactly one Treble per decade for 6 straight decades counting this one.

 

Re: Champions League Final - THE TREBLE - Bayern München v Internazionale

I bolded that part too cause if you of all ppl ain't readin it, nobody is.

 

Re: Champions League Final - THE TREBLE - Bayern München v Internazionale

A year ago, were I to say that FCB would play a European Final without Ribery, most would have said we'd have no chance. But one year later, having only added one player of note, I think most would say we still have a decent shot. Two things...that ultimately means people are more educated about Bayern and know we have a fairly large collection of just below 'world class' players (and that makes me very happy). The other thing...Ailtintop has started maybe 10 games this year and now finds himself starting in the CL Final. Just goes to show you always gotta work hard cause your chance will likely come eventually, and it's hard to keep players of Ailtintops class that are willing to wait for their chance knowing the player in front of them has more skill and a greater probability of starting.

 

Re: Champions League Final - THE TREBLE - Bayern München v Internazionale

I can't find anything on players leaving Munich or arriving in Madrid, so I'll assume we'll do it like a normal game and get there two days in advance, no reason to mess with the successful formula.

There is some interesting stuff going on though, this article...

"Bayern Munich-Inter All Time Greatest XI" by Goal.com was the most read CL related piece over the last 24hours according to Newsnow.com.

Tried to post it a couple times yesterday. Hard to argue against the like of Beckenbauer, Mueller, and crew, but the article has since been removed and the writer posted this...

I don't know what's going on with all that, just thought it was interesting the Inter fans made enough noise to get it taken down. Chalk it up to another anti-Bayern conspiracy, lol.

 

Re: Champions League Final - THE TREBLE - Bayern München v Internazionale

Robben -

"It was a ridiculous situation at that time,” Robben told Goal.com of his final days as a Real player.

“They said only: ‘We want to sell you because we need money.’ The football aspect was not talked about there, only the financial aspect was relevant to those responsible.

On the one hand, they saw that only Wesley Sneijder and I could bring money into the club, on the other they have spent huge amounts.”

Finally, the former Chelsea man spoke of his great friendship with former team-mate Sneijder, who will face off against eacho ther this weekend as both sides gun for a historic treble.

"Wesley and I are very good friends,” he said. “We are in regular contact, even this week. I'm happy for him that with him in Milan but hope he will not win the treble that we want."

 

Re: Champions League Final - THE TREBLE - Bayern München v Internazionale

Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho has claimed the UEFA Champions League is "more important" than the World Cup as he prepares to lead his side into Saturday's final against Bayern Munich in Madrid.

Mourinho's belief is that club football is the pinnacle of the game because of the higher quality of teams that can be bought and built, rather than assembled from limited pools as in the international arena.

"This game is the most important in the world," Mourinho said on Tuesday. "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."


While the WC is obviously a bigger event, I think the CL Final year-in-year-out is probably the best display of te highest qaulity football for the reasons TSO stated. Not only do yo have the potential to have better players than any national team, but you also train for so long together. I don't know, what do you guys think? Obviously Chelsea/Barca in a final would have even more talent on the field, though not neccesarily display better football.

 

Re: Champions League Final - THE TREBLE - Bayern München v Internazionale

Was it entertaining? They should have let the reserves/2nd team play instead of the kids. All our decent ones are already on the main squad, but congrats on the win regardless, especially since u watched it.

 

Re: Champions League Final - THE TREBLE - Bayern München v Internazionale

Inter arrived in Madrid last night to avoid any potential airspace disruption by the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud.

And a smiling Mourinho briefly stopped to give the attending reporters even more food for thought.

He said: “I hope that Real Madrid fans will support Inter on Saturday night.”

And this is a link to a stats comparison of TSO and LvG, and also all kinds of player related comparisons. Chilean definitely check this out, other stat guys should like this as well.

http://soccerlens.com/van-gaal-is-better-than-mourinho/45118/