Inter Milan's Diego Milito will be one player Bayern Munich will focus on stopping in Saturday's UEFA Champions League final. (VINCENZO PINTO/AFP/Getty Images)

And then there were two.

Bayern Munich and Inter Milan will battle it out for European club soccer supremacy when they square off in the UEFA Champions League final at Madrid's Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.

Saturday's showdown is a historic match-up for several reasons.

Both Inter and Bayern have won their respective league titles and domestic cup competitions, which means the winner in Madrid will record a historic treble.

Also, either Inter's Jose Mourinho (who won this tournament with FC Porto in 2004) or Bayern's Luis van Gaal (who previously won it with Ajax in 1995), will enter the record books and join Ernst Happel (Feyenoord 1970 and Hamburg 1983) and Ottmar Hitzfeld (Borussia Dortmund 1997 and Bayern 2001) as coaches who have won the competition with two different clubs.

Bayern last won the Champions League in 2001, while Inter's previous championship came in 1965, so one club will end a drought.

Who will it be?

CBC Sports commentators Nigel Reed and Jason de Vos, and CBCSports.ca senior writer John F. Molinaro offer their analysis and predictions for the final.

Nigel Reed: For no other reason than fate, this is a final Inter Milan can't lose. From the moment Mourinho outfoxed his old club Chelsea in the second round, I have sensed Inter's name is on the trophy this season. Nothing has happened in the last two months to change my mind.

Bayern Munich is a worthy finalist but that is all. The German champions will make a game of it but, ultimately will fall short. In Arjen Robben, Bayern will probably have the best player on the pitch, but even his sublime skills will not be quite enough.

Mourinho has spoken of his respect for Bayern coach Louis van Gaal. The Dutchman had a major influence on his coaching career when Mourinho served as his assistant in their days together at FC Barcelona. Now he plans to show van Gaal what he learned in Europe's season finale.

Inter has passed every test with flying colours. The Italians negotiated the tougher path to the final by maintaining the edge tactically, physically and mentally. As a result, they approach the final hurdle with a healthy psychological advantage over their opponent.

Robben, meanwhile, has his own agenda. He knows, as well as anyone, how Mourinho operates after three years with the "Special One" at Chelsea. Without suspended winger Franck Ribery, Robben holds the key to unlocking Inter's back door.

If Munich is to have a chance, van Gaal must find a way to stifle another Dutchman. Wesley Sneijder has been hugely impressive in Inter's run to the final with three goals and five assists. Veteran Mark van Bommel is the likely candidate to try and halt his compatriot and cut off the supply line to the forwards.

The Germans will be tough to beat. Time and again they have demonstrated the ability to hang on and fight back when the odds were stacked again them. Their performance in the second leg at Old Trafford against Manchester United in the quarter-finals epitomized their staying power and I expect them to run Inter close.

In the final analysis it will come down to which team takes its chances. Here is where Inter has the edge in the shape of Samuel Eto'o and Diego Milito. True, Bayern's Ivica Olic showed his class with a hat trick in the semifinal but he can't expect so much time and space against the Italians.

Ultimately it is the final and, at this level, there should be no such thing as a favourite or an underdog. But I cannot escape the feeling that Inter will be this year's Barcelona. Mourinho will win the Champions League and, with reputation suitably enhanced, promptly join Real Madrid.

Prediction: Inter wins 2-1

Jason de Vos: Inter manager Mourinho's claim that he is the "Special One" comes across as an egotistical self-assessment — until you look at exactly what he has achieved in the game.

He has won six league titles as a manager, and his teams have not lost a home league fixture for seven full seasons, dating back to his days with FC Porto.

Victory over Bayern Munich in the final would make him the youngest manager to win two Champions League titles, his first coming while at the helm of FC Porto.

His managerial career has been a remarkable one, and I think he will add another trophy to his collection when his Inter side take on Bayern Munich in the final.

It won't be easy — winning trophies never is. But Bayern will suffer from the loss of Franck Ribery, and I'm not convinced that they have enough to beat a strong Inter side.

Bayern boss van Gaal will need to choose his tactics wisely as thus far in the tournament, Mourinho has out-coached everyone he has come across. If someone is to get the better of Mourinho, Dutchman van Gaal could be the man.

After a mid-season dip in form that saw Bayern lose the Bundesliga lead, van Gaal got them back on track to claim the title by a five-point margin. Clever tactical choices will be a key component of the Champions League final, and Bayern will have to find a way to balance their side in the absence of the suspended Ribery, who normally provides real thrust from midfield.

I just feel that Inter has too much going for them to slip up at the final hurdle. A solid back line that is anchored by Lucio and Walter Samuel, not to mention Julio Cesar in goal, will see Inter through the inevitable pressure that comes from the Germans.

In midfield, the steady presence of Esteban Cambiasso will protect the back four, while the attacking prowess of Diego Milito, Eto'o and, if he recovers from injury, Wesley Sneijder, will prove to be too much for Bayern.

Prediction: Inter wins 2-0

John F. Molinaro: For me, the most interesting thing to keep an eye on in this match is how both teams will make do in light of the fact they will each be missing a key starter.

Bayern Munich will not be able to call upon French winger Franck Ribery, while Inter will be missing Brazilian defensive midfielder Thiago Motta — both are suspended for Saturday's game after being sent off in the semifinals.

The loss of Ribery is a big blow for Bayern, as the Frenchman is the club's most dangerous player and provides width to the attack. With Ribery out, Robben will have to continue to play exemplary soccer, like he's been doing this entire tournament.

Motta isn't a flashy player, but he's an important player for Inter, acting as the first line of defence in midfield and linking up play between the back line and the forwards. With Motta gone, Argentine Esteban Cambiasso might assume a more defensive role that he normal.

Bayern have defied the odds to reach this point, and they appear to be the team of destiny in this tournament after defeating the likes of Juventus, Fiorentina, Manchester United and Lyon. So they won't be intimated by Inter, who many consider the favourite in Saturday's match.

But I think Inter will pull through, if for no other reason than manager Mourinho has been perfect with his tactical approach thus far in the competition, leading the Nerazzurri to crucial victories over Chelsea and FC Barcelona.

Mourinho's intelligence and the sheer explosiveness of Inter's attack, led by Eto'o and Milito, will lead the Italians to victory.

Prediction: Inter wins 2-0