The starting lineups for Saturday's Champions League final between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich featured no surprises as both coaches went with the formations that helped them reach the final.
Diego Milito and Samuel Eto'o spearhead Inter Milan's attack for coach Jose Mourinho, with playmaker Wesley Sneijder up front for the Serie A champion at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
Bayern coach Louis van Gaal partnered Ivica Olic and Thomas Muller up front alongside Arjen Robben, with Hamit Altintop starting in midfield in place of the suspended Franck Ribery.
Inter captain Javier Zanetti makes his 700th appearance alongside fellow Argentine Esteban Cambiasso in midfield as Mourinho's starting 11 is without an Italian player again.
Mourinho deployed Inter's usual 4-2-1-3 system, using the same four-forward lineup he employed to eliminate both Chelsea and Barcelona in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds.
With Sneijder directing play, Goran Pandev was on the right wing with Milito in the center and Eto'o on the left side. Eto'o is attempting to become the first player to score in three Champions League finals after goals in Barcelona triumphs in 2006 and 2009.
Zanetti moved up from defense to replace suspended midfielder Thiago Motta with Cristian Chivu getting the nod at left back with Maicon on the right side of the defense.
Brazil captain Lucio and Walter Samuel were at center back for Inter, with Brazil international Julio Cesar in goal.
Robben, with 20 goals in his last 24 games, was expected to lead Bayern's attack with Ribery serving out a suspension picked up against Lyon in the semifinals. Muller's seven goals are second only to Lionel Messi's competition-high eight.
Mark van Bommel and Bastian Schweinsteiger filled out the Bundesliga champion's midfield with Daniel van Buyten and Martin Demichelis partnering at center back. Philipp Lahm and Holger Badstuber were on the flanks with Joerg Butt in goal.
Both teams are looking to become the first clubs from their respective countries to add a European triumph to league and cup victories in one season. Either Mourinho or Van Gaal will become the third coach to win the competition with two different teams.
Two-time champion Inter is playing in its first final in 38 years while Bayern looks to move into joint-third with Liverpool with a fifth triumph. Real Madrid leads with nine and AC Milan has seven.
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Lineups:
Bayern Munich: Joerg Butt, Daniel van Buyten, Holger Badstuber, Martin Demichelis, Hamit Altintop, Philipp Lahm, Mark van Bommel, Arjen Robben, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Ivica Olic, Thomas Mueller. Substitutes: Michael Rensing, Andreas Gorlitz, Miroslav Klose, Danijel Pranjic, Diego Contento, Mario Gomez, Anatoliy Tymoschuk.
Inter Milan: Julio Cesar, Maicon, Walter Samuel, Lucio, Cristian Chivu, Esteban Cambiasso, Javier Zanetti, Goran Pandev, Wesley Sneijder, Samuel Eto'o, Diego Milito. Substitutes: Francesco Toldo, Ivan Cordoba, Dejan Stankovic, Sulley Muntari, MacDonald Mariga, Marco Materazzi, Mario Balotelli.
Referee: Howard Webb; Assistant referees Michael Mullarkey, Darren Cann; Fourth official Martin Atkinson.
