EUROPEAN SOCCER:INTER MILAN gave themselves the perfect morale boost on their way to next Saturday's Champions League final clash with Bayern Munich when they wrapped up their fifth consecutive Serie A title yesterday by beating Siena 1-0.
Inter thus finished the season two points clear of second-placed AS Roma who, in winning 2-0 away to Chievo yesterday, made Inter fight all the way.
Indeed, for half an hour yesterday Roma were the new champions. At half-time in the two key matches on this final day of the season, Roma were leading 2-0 against Chievo, whilst Inter were still being held 0-0 away to already-relegated Siena.
Had those scorelines remained unaltered, then both sides would have finished on 80 points but Roma would have been champions on the “head to head” count since they held Inter to a 1-1 draw in Milan last November whilst they beat them 2-1 at the Olympic Stadium in Rome in March.
That half-time scoreline was all the more frustrating for Inter because for the first 45 minutes they had been clearly the better side, dominating possession, creating four clear chances and also hitting the crossbar through talented striker Mario Balotelli.
On of top that, Siena goalkeeper Gianluca Curci, a former Roma player, looked like he intended to do his old team-mates a major favour, making a number of excellent saves against the rampant Inter.
In the second half, however, Italian Cup winners Inter showed the sort of composure and determination which has set them apart all season, keeping both their concentration and cool before Argentine striker Diego Milito scored their all-important goal in the 57th minute.
Such had been the Inter urgency that by the time Milito scored the winning goal, coach Josè Mourinho had opted for a five-man attack featuring Milito in front of Balotelli, Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o, Macedonian Goran Pandev and Dutchman Wesley Sneijder.
Immediately following the Milito goal, Mourinho returned to a more normal line-up replacing Balotelli with Serb midfielder Dejan Stankovic.
From there to the finish, Inter concentrated as much on retaining possession as on scoring a second goal.
This might have seemed a foolhardy approach, risking what would have been a fatal Siena equaliser, but such was Inter’s grip on the game their Brazilian goalkeeper Julio Cesar remained largely unemployed while the game was played predominantly in the Siena half.
As is often his way, Mourinho kept a low profile during the post-match celebrations, maintaining a press silence and heading for the dressingroom immediately after referee Emidio Morganti blew the final whistle.
Doubtless the Special One’s thoughts were already fixed on Madrid next Saturday where he will hope to lead Inter to an historic Serie A, Italian Cup and Champions League treble.
Bayern still on track
GERMAN champions Bayern Munich clinched the German Cup with a 4-0 win over Werder Bremen on Saturday to stay on track for a treble.
Bayern, who face Inter Milan in the Champions League final on Saturday, took the lead through Arjen Robben’s penalty before Ivica Olic, Franck Ribery and Bastian Schweinsteiger added to the scoring.
BARCELONAclinched a second consecutive La Liga title yesterday when they thrashed Real Valladolid 4-0 at home.
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