Champions League Final

The Santiago Bernabeu, home pitch of Real Madrid, will play host to the Champions League final between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich. Not only are both clubs looking to etch their names in European football, but with both already having won their domestic league and main cup competition, both are also gunning for a historic treble of trophies. This match is full of unique storylines. Here are just a few...
The battle between managers. Much has been made over the years of the success of Jose Mourinho, the Portuguese Manager of Inter Milan. Mourinho, whose pedigree includes a prior European triumph with Porto as well as Carling Cup and League titles from his time with Chelsea, will be going up against Louis van Gaal. Van Gaal was the manager at Barcelona and Mourinho was his interpreter. Mourinho loves to play mind games, however I do not think any mind games will work with van Gaal as he has known Mourinho since he was "young and modest".
I also find it amusing how two Real Madrid castoffs from the summer, Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben, are now the focal points of their new clubs. The pair of Dutch internationals were deemed a surplus at the Bernabeu after $250,000,000 of summer spending brought in the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Xabi Alonso and Karim Benzema.
Sneijder has blossomed in his role of playmaker in the Inter midfield. Flanked by Goran Pandev and Samuel Eto'o with Diego Milito leading the line, Sneijder is the one pulling the strings of Inter's attacking game. In their 4-2-3-1 formation, it is imperative that Inter hold the ball up in order to allow their fullbacks, specifically Maicon, the chance to join the play and provide width in attack.
On the other side of the ball, Bayern elect to play a traditional 4-4-2. Robben and Franck Ribery are the ones tasked with providing the width on the wings, but with Ribery out due to his red card in the semi-final stage against Bordeaux, even more pressure will be on Robben to not only terrorize the aging Inter back line, but maybe even chip in with a goal. The wild card for Bayern has to be Ivica Olic, the sporadic striker. Olic can be dreadful one day then phenomenal the next.
I anticipate this match being fairly open. Both sides have great attacking players who will want to get on the score sheet of a Champions League Final. I give the edge to Inter, who I think are just too strong all over the pitch for Bayern Munich. The absence of Ribery to this German side is too much to overcome. It is a beautiful Saturday morning in Orem, UT and the sun is making me giddy as I predict a surprising (in terms of the amount of goals scored in the match) 3-1 scoring line in favour of the Italian Champions.