What Sneijder said to mocking Bayern coach before Inter's Allianz Arena epic comeback
What Sneijder said to mocking Bayern coach before Inter's Allianz Arena epic comeback
Inter have already emerged victorious against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena in 2011, and Wesley Sneijder, a Nerazzurri player at the time, recalled how they stunned an opponent who was already confident of qualifying for the next round following their win at San Siro.
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The Biscione faced the Bavarian giants as Champions League holders in the competition's round of 16, but Mario Gomez's winner in the first leg in Milan made their task much harder, leaving them with little chance of turning the tie around at Bayern's home, traditionally a hostile ground for any team.
Wesley Sneijder of FC Internazionale Milano celebrates after the goal scored by Samuel Eto'o during the Tim Cup final between FC Internazionale Milano and US Citta di Palermo at Olimpico Stadium on May 29, 2011 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by)
The Bundesliga outfit was also extremely confident that their job was already done, as Sneijder revealed witnessing a scene where Bayern coach Louis van Gaal told two of his players that he felt his side had more than one foot in the quarter-finals.
How Sneijder challenged mocking Bayern coach before Allianz Arena comeback in 2011
'When I came back into the tunnel after that defeat, Louis van Gaal was walking right in front of me with Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, laughing his head off and saying, 'We've got them in the bag.' But I heard everything!,' Sneijder said in an event organised by JustEat, as reported by FcInterNews.
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'And it was then that Sneijder challenged his fellow countryman: 'I told him, 'Hey coach, you won 1-0 here, but we've got another match to play in Munich,' and he kept laughing, saying it would be easy. But instead, we won 3-2 there.'
Former Inter midfielder Wesley Sneijder for Holland
Inter found a late winner through Goran Pandev that night, completing a dramatic comeback after Bayern had temporarily turned the game around following Samuel Eto'o's early opener, with Sneijder scoring his side's second goal.
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