FINAL: Glory for Inter Milan
DIEGO Milito scored both goals as Internazionale beat Bayern Munich 2-0 in the Champions League final at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid.
Milito scored either side of the break as Inter completed the treble, having already sealed the domestic league and cup double.
Jose Mourinho became only the third man after Ernst Happel and Ottmar Hitzfeld to win the Champions League with a second club, following his success with Porto in 2004, in what could be his last match as Inter coach.
The Portuguese has been heavily linked in the media with a return to the Bernabeu as coach of Real Madrid.
The speculation about his future should not detract from a classic Inter performance, the Nerazzurri absorbing large doses of Bayern possession and scoring the decisive goals on the break.
Argentine Milito had scored in all three knock-out rounds and he finished with aplomb to open the scoring after 35 minutes, flicking on Julio Cesar’s long goal kick before being picked out by Wesley Sneijder.
His second, 20 minutes from time, was even more impressive as Samuel Eto’o played him in down the left channel and Milito cut Daniel Van Buyten inside out before burying his finish in the far corner for his 30th goal of the season.
That killed off the contest as Inter won their third European title and their first since 1965.
Without the suspended Franck Ribery, Bayern were reliant on Arjen Robben and he created an early chance for Ivica Olic who poked the near post cross wide.
And the German champions had an appeal for a penalty turned down by English referee Howard Webb when Van Buyten’s header struck the arm of Maicon.
Inter’s chief threat in the opening half hour came from two Sneijder free-kicks which were saved by Hans Joerg-Butt while at the other end Robben volleyed wide before the Bavarians fell behind to Milito who lost Martin Demichelis before producing a calm finish.
Inter had two good chances to extend their lead before the break as they exposed Bayern’s high defensive line.
Demichelis made a last-ditch clearance to poke the ball away from Eto’o before Milito went clear down the left channel and found Sneijder who shot straight at Butt from 12 yards.
Robben unleashed a curling 25-yard effort that was not too far from the top corner at the end of the first period and Inter were almost caught napping within 30 seconds of the re-start but Julio Cesar made a fine save with his legs to deny Thomas Mueller who was stretching but should have done better after picking up Olic’s pass.
But Inter went straight up the other end and Milito cut back to Goran Pandev whose curling shot was destined for the top corner only for the flying Butt to push it over.
Louis van Gaal seemed to instruct Bayern to increase the tempo in the second-half and Mueller’s goal bound shot was headed away by Cambiasso before another delicious curling effort from Robben destined for the top corner was acrobatically tipped over by Cesar at full stretch.
But the second goal vanquished Bayern’s hopes of their own treble as Inter lifted their first European trophy in 12 years. -Eurosport
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