Gareth Bale's Left Foot Strikes Against Inter Make Europe Drool

When Gareth Bale first burst onto the scene at Spurs, nobody was sure where to play this immensely talented youngster. He had the skills and ability to play at left back or left wing. Superbly athletic, incredibly quick and possessor of the best left foot in England, Bale is now enjoying life and football on the left flank of Tottenham Hotspur.

His performances have picked up since Redknapp started playing him on the left wing at the tail end of last season. He ended last season with three goals and five assists. This season, he has picked up from where he left off and has drawn much praise from his manager.

And when one looks at his goals against Stoke and now against Inter Milan, it is no wonder why he is garnering so much attention from admiring managers.

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Diego Milito - Man Of The Hour

Inter Milan simply had too much in their back pocket for Bayern to contain. Inter's superb performance in the Champions League final is down to three factors,

1. Too many Bayern players froze at the Santiago Bernabeu

Bayern fans would always be wondering what if Thomas Mueller had scored...what if Howard Webb had blown for a half way line foul before Milito's brilliant 2nd goal. But the fact remains that Schweinsteiger, Lahm, Demichelis and co succumbed to the pressures much like Manchester United the season before. Playing at the Bernabeu do have that effect on teams, La Liga teams regularly roll over for Real Madrid.

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The Perfect Treble - Bayern Or Inter?

When Bayern Munich and Inter Milan battle it out in tomorrow’s Champions League final, not only will they be fighting for Europe’s top prize, but will also be aiming to complete an historic treble. Both Bayern and Inter have already won their league and domestic cup, and clinching the Champions League would mean adding their names to an exclusive group of treble winners. Whoever wins, it will be a first for the country they hail from.

Five teams have completed the ‘perfect’ treble - winning the league, main domestic cup and the most prestigious European cup all in one season. These five clubs are:

THE PERFECT TREBLE

CELTIC, 1967
Scottish Football League, Scottish Cup, European Cup
Celtic became the fi rst British team to win the European Cup after they beat Inter Milan in the final. As well as the two most prestigious domestic trophies, they also picked up the League Cup and Glasgow Cup as they swept aside all before them.

AJAX, 1972
Eredivisie, KNVB Cup, European Cup

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Two Down, One To Go! Mourinho and Van Gaal's Treble Quest

Come May 22nd, either the master (Louis Van Gaal) or the apprentice (Jose Mourinho) would have achieved two milestones in their career. One, Inter Milan or Bayern Munich will have captured the unique treble (domestic league, domestic cup and continental cup). Two, either manager will become only the third manager to have won this prestigious tournament twice with two different clubs.

Everyone knows the history behind Van Gaal and Mourinho. It was Van Gaal who spotted the potential of Mourinho and offered him the chance to work with him. Mourinho calls Van Gaal his "teacher" and with good reason, as Mourinho's demeanor seemed to mirror the arrogance and aloofness of Louis Van Gaal. The tough taskmaster attitude towards their players are remarkably similar.

The similarities in team preparation have also been acknowledged by Louis Van Gaal when he spoke to Soccernet,

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Sore Losers Barcelona As Mourinho Shows His Tactical Genius

Jose Mourinho did it again. He has got Inter Milan into the Champions League final with the chance to win it against his old master, Louis Van Gaal. There are lots of similarities in the mannerisms and style of Van Gaal and Jose but I shall leave that to another post.

More importantly, Jose has once again proven that tactical organisation and a winning game plan can triumph over the most talented team. Mourinho is now in uncharted territory, becoming the first  manager to guide a star-studded Inter team into the Champions League final.

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Hollow Victory For Barcelona

This is what I picked up from the Malay Mail. It aptly captures what had happened during the match which turned ugly as Inter celebrated progress into the Champions League final in Madrid. Guardiola explains how the dismissal of Inter's Thiago Motta disrupted his team's focus and team play.

PEP'S PRIDE

Humbled Guardiola says Barcelona must focus on Primera Liga 

Thursday, April 29th, 2010 10:48:00

BARCELONA: Disappointed Barcelona manager Josep "Pep" Guardiola congratulated Inter Milan but noted the dismissal of midfielder Thiago Motta in the 28th minute worked against his team as the Catalans were knocked out of Champions League at the semifinal stage at Nou Camp this morning.

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