How Inter Milan reached the Champions League Final
After 32 long years of waiting, Inter Milan will finally return to the Champions League Final this Saturday.
Even more importantly, the Serie A side are now just one match away from winning an historic treble after wrapping up their domestic league title and the Coppa Italia.
All that stands in their way between them and the famous European Cup are another team also in contention for their own treble – Bayern Munich.
With the brilliant José Mourinho at the helm and a hugely talented squad of players, the Nerazzurri believe that this is the year they secure an elusive third Champions League title.
This is how they reached the final:
September 16th 2009: Inter Milan 0 Barcelona 0, Group F
José Mourinho’s men were handed the toughest possible start to their 2009/10 Champions League campaign with an opening group match against the formidable reigning European champions, Barcelona. The Catalan giants added Inter’s talismanic striker, Zlatan Ibrahimović, to their ranks over the summer months – in a move which saw Samuel Eto’o head in the opposite direction. Many people expected this match to ignite the group stages of the European competition; but instead, it proved something of a damp squib. Nevertheless, it was still a tactical triumph for Mourinho over his Barça counterpart, Pep Guardiola – not for the last time this season.
September 29th 2009: Rubin Kazan 1 Inter Milan 1, Group F
Next up for Inter: a venture to Kazan to take on Russian champions, Rubin Kazan. Before the start of the tournament, Rubin were an unknown quantity. That soon changed after this match, though, as they held the mighty Italians to a 1-1 draw. Alejandro Domínguez even gave the hosts a shock lead on the 11th minute, but Inter soon began to exert their dominance on the match, and equalised 15 minutes later through veteran Serbian international, Dejan Stanković. In the second-half, the Italian side were distinctly second best; but thanks to goalkeeper Julio Cesar and a touch of good fortune, they held on for another valuable point.
October 20th 2009: Inter Milan 2 Dynamo Kyiv 2, Group F
A third consecutive draw left Inter Milan facing the prospect of a shock exit from the group stages. Mourinho’s men conceded an early goal from Dynamo’s Taras Mykhalyk after some uncharacteristic slack defending, bringing an eerie silence around the San Siro. Stanković leveled the scores when the Dynamo goalkeeper was caught out in no-man’s land ten minutes before half-time; but then, an own-goal from Lucio soon after meant Inter went into the break 2-1 down. Whatever Mourinho said during the break clearly had the desired effect, as in the 47th minute, Walter Samuel’s header sealed the Italians their third point of the campaign.
November 4th 2009: Dynamo Kyiv 1 Inter Milan 2, Group F
Inter Milan were in desperate need of a win to keep their Champions League bid on track. They got it. Just. Two dramatic goals from Diego Milito and Wesley Sneijder in the last five minutes were enough for the Serie A outfit to secure their first win of the European campaign. AC Milan legend, Andriy Shevchenko, scored Dynamo’s opener; but Inter showed their fighting-spirit and doggedness in the closing stages to seal three crucial points.
November 24th 2009: Barcelona 2 Inter Milan 0, Group F
The return leg of the match the whole of Europe had been eagerly anticipating. The champions of Italy v the champions of Spain again went head-to-head at the end of November. However, for Mourinho’s side, it proved a harsh lesson in how to play the game. Outpassed, outthought and outplayed, Barcelona produced a masterclass on their hallowed Nou Camp turf – and without the services of Lionel Messi and Ibrahimović. Inter would learn from this humiliation; but first, they needed to win their final group match against Rubin Kazan.
December 9th 2009: Inter Milan 2 Rubin Kazan 0, Group F
Inter had their backs against the wall going into the final match of the group stages, and required a victory to ensure their place in the last 16 against the team who’d held them to a draw in Russia. This time, though, Mourinho’s side were to control the match from start to finish. Summer-signing Eto’o broke the deadlock on the half-hour mark; but it was Mario Balotelli’s thunderous 35-yard free-kick that this match would be remembered for. The temperamental young Italian struck one of the goals of the tournament in the second-half to seal Inter’s place in the next round.
February 24th 2010: Inter Milan 2 Chelsea 1, round of 16, first leg
With the pre-match build-up focused firmly on Mourinho facing his former club Chelsea for the first time, Inter Milan gave themselves real hope of progressing to the quarter-finals with a 2-1 victory at the San Siro. Argentinian striker, Milito, gave the hosts the perfect start on the third minute, cutting in past John Terry before unleashing a venomous low strike past Petr Cech. Salomon Kalou equalised for Chelsea after the break, but Esteban Cambiasso’s brilliant strike four minutes later ensured the second leg would be delicately poised in Inter’s favour.
March 16th 2010: Inter Milan 1 Chelsea 0, round of 16, second leg (Inter win 3-1 on aggregate)
The Special One’s return to Stamford Bridge dominated the back pages in the days proceeding to this second leg clash; and it was the master-tactician who pulled off a superb victory in west-London against Carlo Ancelotti’s side. In a largely dour and scrappy encounter, Inter’s defence stood firm and then took their chance expertly through the cool-finishing Eto’o. Mourinho had broken Chelsea hearts, but past allegiances meant little now. Inter had reached the quarter-finals.
March 31st 2010: Inter Milan 1 CSKA Moscow 0, quarter-final, first leg
Inter were bidding to reach the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2003. Only CSKA Moscow now stood in their way. Inter got the job done in the first leg at the San Siro, ensuring they would head to the Russian capital with the advantage. It was that man again, Diego Milito, who was on target for the Nerazzurri. However, Mourinho was unhappy his side had wasted so many opportunities to extend their aggregate lead. The proposition of playing on the Luzhniki Stadium’s plastic pitch concerned the Inter boss – he knew that this quarter-final was far from a foregone conclusion.
April 6th 2010: CSKA Moscow 0 Inter Milan 1, quarter-final, second leg (Inter win 2-0 on aggregate)
A late afternoon kick-off and typically freezing conditions left Inter Milan with several hurdles to overcome to reach the last four of the Champions League. A well-struck free-kick from Sneijder settled any early nerves, though, and for the rest of the match Inter tightened up, soaked up the pressure and cancelled out their Russian opponents. CSKA substitute Chidi Odiah’s sending off made things a whole lot easier for the two-time European Champions in a game which won’t be remembered for excitement, but rather for Inter’s efficiency.
April 20th 2010: Inter Milan 3 Barcelona 1, semi-final, first leg
By this point in the season, Inter Milan were a far better unit than the side torn apart by Barcelona back in November. The most important thing was that they now had their confidence back, and were just two matches away from reaching the first European Cup Final since 1972. It was the whole reason why Mourinho had been appointed coach in the first place – their primary focus was now on winning the Champions League. To do so, though, they would have to beat the mighty European champions, Barça, who were in typically red-hot form coming into this semi-final.
The onus was on preventing the attacking threat of Lionel Messi – the Argentinian genius who’d scored over 40 goals so far this season. With a solid defence display, Inter contended with Messi and co, and produced one of the performances of the season to beat Guardiola’s side 3-1. Barça’s rising star striker, Pedro, gave the visitors an early lead; but goals from Sneijder, Maicon and Milito gave the Italians genuine hope that they could now push on and reach the final.
April 20th 2010: Barcelona 1 Inter Milan 0, semi-final, second leg (Inter win 3-2 on aggregate)
A heroic, memorable defensive performance sealed Inter Milan’s place in the Champions League Final. Thiago Motta was harshly sent-off in the first-half, following a tussle with Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets, to leave Mourinho’s men with a major struggle to hold on to their advantage. But the predicament suited the Portuguese manager, who was left perplexed by Motta’s contentious dismissal. Getting through to the final would now border on the miraculous.
The Inter boss ensured his side would now all be defending for their lives. Despite a constant onslaught of pressure from the hosts, Lucio, Samuel the rest of the Inter team cleared their lines time and time again, frustrating Guardiola’s side. Even the world’s best player, Messi, couldn’t find a way to breach the Inter defence as Barça dominated proceedings at the Nou Camp. With five minutes on the clock, Barça did find the breakthrough via makeshift forward, Gerard Piqué, but it proved too little too late for the Primera Liga outfit.
Cue wild celebrations from Mourinho after the final whistle. The Special One had done it again, and he now has another golden opportunity to make history on Saturday evening at Real Madrid’s Bernabéu stadium – in all probability, the grand old arena the Portuguese coach will be working from next season.
To read about Bayern Munich's run to the final, click here: http://www.senore.com/How-Bayern-Munich-reached-the-Champions-League-final-a11327
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