Mourinho Masters Messi – Inter Into Final

A place in the Champions League final at tonight's hosts fiercest rivals home stadium was on offer as the leaders of La Liga, Barcelona, and Serie A, Inter Milan, met in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final. Bayern Munich confirmed their attendance at the Bernabeu after demolishing a dismal Lyon side and will be anxiously anticipating a match against the eventual victors.

Barcelona started the night needing goals after embarking on the second leg with a 3-1 deficit to overcome, yet, this was the fourth Champions League semi final in five years for Barcelona, with the other corresponding games at the Nou Camp all ending 0-0. On the other hand though, Barcelona and Inter Milan had already met in the Group stages of this year’s competition, with the Catalan side victorious in a 2-0 outcome, a result that would put them into the final and the only time Inter Milan had lost by more than one goal in the Champions League this season.

Arguably the two best clubs in the world were on view, one holding the world’s best player, whilst the other has the indulgence of watching the best manager in club football. Naturally, it was Mourinho who had the opportunity to speak first stirring the melting pot that would be the Nou Camp crowd up to boiling point by informing the world of the difference between an “obsession” and a “dream”.

The games continued until the last few minutes before kick-off as Barcelona fielded a surprising 3-4-3 formation due to injuries and suspensions, however, Inter saw a timely injury to winger Pandev in the warm-up meaning he had to be replaced by centre back Christian Chivu. Unfortunate for Pandev or tactical by Mourinho? I know what I believe.

Yet, Guardiola may have won more of the mind games than anticipated, as Barca started the match in their usual 4-3-3 set-up, meaning Chivu pushed on to play in a more advanced role. Once on the pitch though, it was time for Messi to supposedly shine in a side that dominated the opening exchanges, keeping possession comfortably albeit without creating too many clear cut chances.

Thiago Motto lasted 10 minutes before going into the referee’s book after a late challenge on an advancing Daniel Alves. Inter were content to sit and defend, crowding out any potential threat through a sheer amass of white shirts, occasionally trying to find lone frontman Milito, who incidentally was one part of the 4th pair of brothers to face each other in European football, the Edvaldsson, Koeman and Riise brothers being the other 3 sets.

Pedro had the first real opportunity of the game for Barcelona but the Spaniard’s volley from Alves’ cross was fired wide of a static Cesar post.

The boiling pot then bubbled over when Thiago Motto placed a limp hand on Busquets’ face who went down leaving Belgium referee Frank de Bleeckere with “no choice” but to show Thiago a straight red for his “violent conduct”. Inter Milan now faced 60minutes of siege mentality football, an attitude which the Italian side appeared to emit even with 11men.

Messi then brought Cesar into life, with a superb fingertip around the post, to prevent a delightful shot that was destined for the bottom left hand corner. Cesar minutes later was the next player to see yellow however when the referee attempted to gather an early reign on Inter’s inevitable time wasting regime.

The Inter captain Zanetti then produced a world class block to prevent Ibrahimovic from having a shot on goal after the ball landed at the Swede’s feet inside the box. As halftime beckoned though, chances remained few and far between.

On a rare break Wesley Sneijder took a tumble and stayed down but Barcelona were in no mood for sportsmanship, with Messi leading the attack against a 9 man team. This only infuriated the away side, leaving Chivu with no option but to earn his side another yellow card due to his deliberate attempt to prevent any further advancement up the field from the competition’s leading goalscorer.

Pep Guardiola was the first man to make a move bringing on the more attacking left back Maxwell for Milito at half time who was disappointing, unlike his brother who continued to hold the ball up well for Inter after often being found by an influential Sneijder.

The game then descended from one of great footballing potential to one where the potential energy of players was being used to deceive the referee into awarding freekicks. The simulation came alongside 40 yard wild shots from Barcelona in a bid to change the fortunes of the match, something which no crowd wants to see when some of the best creative players in the world are supposedly on show.

Barcelona’s prodigy Bojan and Jeffren then entered the field replacing Ibrahimovic and Busquets respectively. Sneijder was also came off for a defensive Muntari, setting the already stable tone of the game in stone.

With 70minutes left on the clock, more often than not, all 10 of Inter’s men could be visibly seen in their own third of the pitch, giving no space for their hosts to exploit in the hope of turning some of their insurmountable possession into an opportunity of a goal. It may not be the pretty football everyone expected to see but it was an impeccable defensive performance, with Cambiasso, Samuel and Lucio leading the line.

Milito received an early exit which his legs deserved with the experienced Cordoba coming on for the finale. The opportunity then came when Messi found Bojan 6 yards out from goal but his unmarked header summed up Barcelona’s ineffectual performance and went wide of the post.

Bojan’s blushes were there both covered and exasperated as central defender Gerard Pique, formerly of Manchester United, was found inside the Inter box in a debatable offside position from a Xavi pass, only for Pique to perform the most exquisite drag back turn, to leave Cesar stranded and for the Spaniard to stroke the ball into the empty goal.

The aggregate score was now 3-2 to Inter, meaning that one more goal from Barcelona would advance them into the final, springing the Spanish side into life and creating panic amongst the previously resolute Italian team.

Then in the 91st minute of the game the ball ricocheted to Bojan who fired the ball into the roof of the net sending the Nou Camp into wild, but short lived celebrations, as the referee pulled the game back for a dubious handball decision against Yaya Toure.

That was Barcelona’s last effort on target, meaning that Jose Mourinho would be the man directing his players at the Champions League final in the Bernabeu. Messi, like the rest of his teammates, had been poor on the night and Pep Guardiola had no answers. Barcelona may have won on the night, but the 3-1 deficit was too much to bring back meaning Inter will have the opportunity to win the Champions League for the first time, whereas Mourinho will be looking to become only the 3rd ever manager to win Europe’s biggest club tournament with two separate teams. With Bayern Munich being his final opponents, who would bet against him?