Champions League
Lucio, ex-vice-captain of Bayern, who time and again stated that he loved Bayern and wanted to win things with them, was shockingly sold, as soon to be departed Dutch tacticians hatred with Brazilians took to another level and he didn’t see the European champion as a part of his plans offloading him, in favor of the young Holger Badstuber. Lucio, the person who had been one of the best center backs in the world to his former protégé, and the man who would take his club to the final of the Champions League against Bayern and go on to beat them. It was none other than self-proclaimed ‘special one’ Jose Mourinho. And his terrific treble winning Inter Milan side.
Soon after leaving Bavaria for Milan, Lucio former a superb pairing with South American center back Walter Samuel, with a defense comprising of all South American stalwarts including legends of the game like skipper Zavier Zanetti. Lucio quickly established himself as the crown jewel of the defensive minded team.
Champions League draw, pitted the two rivals against each other once again in a re-run of the 2010 Champions League final, Lucio was smacking his lips with a great opportunity to show their former club what they were missing, and with the opportunity to play in front of 60,000 fans in the Allianz Arena, Munich.
A crucial mistake by Lucio in the dying minutes of the game, led to the solitary goal by the Champions Leagues top scorer Mario Gomez. Gomez was earlier left unmarked by Lucio who netted in a 40 yard rebound of Arjen Robben stinging shot, which fell out of the normally calm, Julio Cesar hands, and Gomez made no mistake.
Bayern go into the second leg at Allianz Arena leading 1 -0, they have suffered a turbulent couple of weeks losing three in a row, after the victory in Milan. Until that fateful night on Saturday, 12th March, Bayern demolished Hamburger SV in a 6-0 victory a hat-trick by Glassman Arjen Robben, and goals from Franck Ribery, Golden Boot top scorer Thomas Muller, and an own goal by Heiko Westermanm, which was a sheer brilliance by Ribery, made it a special night for Bayern, and puts them in good stead for the game at home against Inter Milan, and also a full strength squad to choose from. Bayern will be licking their lips.
Inter had to do with only a 1-1 draw againt Brescia and have injury concerns of their own, Walter Samuel, David Suazo and Diego Milito are all out with injury, whereas Maicon, Lucio and Rannochia are all struggling to be fit in time for the away clash against Munich.
Don’t miss this one hell of a game on Wednesday, 16th March 2011, on Ten Sports.
Tags: Brazil, Captain, Champions League, Football, Lucio, Ten Sports, UEFA Champions League
