Inter, milito: the special ones
Diego Milito scored both goals as Inter Milan beat Bayern Munich 2-0 in the Champions League final at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday as charismatic coach Jose Mourinho engineered an historic treble.
Argentine striker Milito embarrassed each of Bayern’s centre-backs in turn as the Bavarians’ vulnerable defensive core was ruthlessly exposed.
In their first Champions League final since 1972, Inter won their third European title and first since 1965.
They also became the first Italian team to achieve the treble of Serie A, Italian Cup and Champions League.
But the celebrations were tempered by Mourinho admitting that the match would almost certainly be his last as he seeks new challenges
having become only the third coach to win the European title with two different clubs.
“I want to be the only coach to win the Champions League with three different clubs,” he said. “It’s more likely that I will leave rather than stay.”
Real Madrid are widely expected to be Mourinho’s new employers.
Bayern coach Louis Van Gaal, who once worked with Mourinho at Barcelona, was not impressed by the Italian side’s tactics.
“Inter are a hard team to play and I think we played attractive football,” said the Dutchman.
“We tried to attack in tight spaces. We choose to play offensively. Inter won and they have every right to play the way they want.”
Milito said: “I’m 30, I had to wait a long time to win a trophy like this but this is football and football always gives you a chance to make amends.
“I thank Jose Mourinho and the president for bringing me here last summer, tonight was just fantastic.”
Inter’s Samuel Eto’o became only the fourth player to win the competition in successive seasons with different clubs having been on the Barcelona winning team a year ago.
Bayern came closest early on as Arjen Robben beat Cristian Chivu and Walter Samuel with some wing wizardry down the right but Ivica Olic prodded his cross wide of the near post.
Hamit Altintop then created space on the edge of the Inter box on 13 minutes but his shot was deflected for a corner.
Bayern had a decent penalty shout when Daniel Van Buyten’s header hit Maicon’s arm.
Wesley Sneijder tried his luck with a 40-yard free-kick which skimmed off Altintop’s head but goalkeeper Hans-Jorg Butt was alert to punch clear.
Robben had an opportunity with Inter bodies around him but he hurried it and shot embarrassingly off target.
Milito’s first goal on 35 minutes came against the run of play and from a defensive lapse as Inter targeted the fragile heart of Bayern’s defence.
Goalkeeper Julio Cesar punted the ball upfield and Milito held off Martin Demichelis to flick it on to Sneijder. The Argentine forward then turned and left his compatriot on the wrong side of goal before taking Sneijder’s return pass and exploiting the gap behind Demichelis to clip the ball over Butt.
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