Mourinho Had Guessed Correctly!

As was customary, both head coaches announced their starting lineups before the match.

Both teams had full-strength squads, with no players suspended for accumulated yellow cards, so they fielded their strongest lineups.

Inter Milan were the home team tonight, and Mourinho went with a 4-3-3 Formation.

Cesar was in goal. From left to right, the back four were Chivu, Lucio, Samuel, and Maicon. The midfield consisted of Thiago Motta, Cambiasso, and Zanetti, while the front three were Pandev, Diego Milito, and Eto'o.

Although it was called a 4-3-3, looking at Inter Milan's setup for most of the season, Pandev's position should actually have been somewhat deeper, while Diego Milito and Eto'o spent more time roaming the two wings and actively tracking back.

On the counterattack, Milito's tactical role and Eto'o's speed were both terrifying.

That had already been demonstrated to devastating effect in the first leg of the semifinal against Barcelona.

Real Madrid were the away team tonight, and Benitez had also opted for a 4-3-3 Formation.

Casillas was in goal. From left to right, the back four were Marcelo, Vermaelen, Ramos, and Arbeloa. Mascherano and Xabi Alonso sat deep in midfield, Sneijder played centrally, and the front three consisted of Yang Yang, Ibrahimovic, and Robben—the Trident.

In choosing his starting lineup, Benitez had replaced Maxwell with the more attack-minded Marcelo. This also represented Real Madrid's attitude toward tonight's match, showing that the team intended to seize the initiative.

As for Kaka not starting, that was hardly surprising. After all, Kaka had been injured for half a year, and his performances after returning had been inconsistent. It would not have been appropriate to throw him into the starting lineup recklessly in such an important final.

After a brief Champions League Final ceremony before the match, as the Saint-Brice