Champions League : Who Will Win It?

It is not called the most coveted trophy in club football for nothing. iSporter Pulasta Dhar tries to analyze who really deserves to win the Champion’s League after the semi final first leg results.

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Football is full of coincidences and there was one more this week as Sam Worthington starrer Clash of the Titans started raking in some serious moolah at the Box Office. The movie must have faced some stiff competition as prime-time shows in movie theatres across Europe saw little movement because of another Clash of the Titans. This time it is not God versus blah blah, but it was The Special One vs The Prodigy. To make it simple, one of the most brilliant minds in tactical football came up against a man who just has to make his team imagine…..

Barcelona are counted as the most dangerous team in Europe since the last few years. When they beat Madrid in humiliating fashion this season, it was also surprising how they have fallen to simpler teams. I might say some over confidence has played its part here. It was the same when they went ahead at Inter on Tuesday night and thought it was going to be another Arsen-gate in the making.

What happened at half time in the Inter dressing room is anybody’s guess as Mourinho’s team came out with a lot more desire. Also, it is said that Italian and Indian gaalis are the most effective. A few must have been exchanged as Mourinho bucked his team up. Barcelona on the other hand might as well have made plans to close down the impeccable Sneijder rather than wait too much on hot soup served at half-time.

Inter had one quality in them that runs in the veins of their manager….. Fearlessness. For most teams, once they go down to the Catalans, it is almost game over. But Wesley Sneijder and Cambiasso learnt from mistakes and started playing the ball on the ground rather than the useless lobs towards Milito and Eto’O in the first 45. Barcelona were taken aback and a wonderful move which started on the right and ended on the left with a neat finish by the magnificent Dutchman increased a belief which was already there.

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Two more goals from Maicon and Milito both set up by the man I do not have to name any more capped a remarkable night for the Italians. The second goal was superb.

Sneijder is pure quality of that was a passing header and if it was not, then he has to work on his aerial skills this week. Whatever the case, Inter Milan deserve to be in the finals because they are the only team which kept Barcelona at bay and probably the most likely to do so. Their defense is simply unbelievable.

Bayern Munich made a meal of a game they should have won easily. The attacking talent that they have is probably the most enviable in Europe. Especially the quality wingers they possess and who complement the tall players in midfield and strikers. Their form has been superb over the last few weeks and a 7 goal thrashing of Hannover placed them as firm favourites ahead of the Lyon game.

Even though they lost Ribery to a straight red card, Munich were the team pushing for a victory even with 10 men against a Lyon side which looked like a sack of potatoes when they started attacking. They were, maybe, playing for a draw.

With Robben in unbelievable form, and his brilliant cut-ins from the right hand side with Lahm to support him, Bayern were relentless at times and could have scored 3 goals in the first half itself. Wastefulness might just cost them since playing in France is always hard and Lyon have taught lessons to the famed Real Madrid. Luis van Gaal is too experienced to take the second leg as granted with just a 1-0 lead after a swerving Robben shot found the net.

As for the deserving teams, I would say Inter Milan and Munich should play the finals because it is these teams who have beat the favourites in Barcelona and Man United. Bayern have been a selling team for too long and it is high time a German team becomes a European powerhouse like in the 90s and attracts more talent to the Bundesliga. The quality that runs through all areas in their line-up is surprisingly under-achieving. Also, a match between these two perfectly moulded teams would be a cracker!!