Finalists looking to learn from trauma of previous finals

Gideon Long

Valencia have a duty to learn from the mistakes of last season when they go into Wednesday's Champions League final against Bayern Munich at the San Siro.

Kily Gonzalez is one of only five likely survivors from last year's final against Real Madrid in Paris when Valencia turned in their worst performance of the season to allow Vicente del Bosque's side to ease to a 3-0 win.

The talented Argentine international, who was clearly struggling with a knee injury picked up in training on the eve of last year's final, does not want to see another chance slip away.

"We have a lot of responsibility to assume going into the final," said Kily. "We have a duty to ourselves and to our fans.

"We're looking forward to getting the match underway but we can't afford to be anxious.

"We made mistakes last season and we have to learn from those mistakes."

Valencia coach Hector Cuper is likely to play Kily and Gaizka Mendieta on opposite flanks, with Ruben Baraja anchoring the midfield and another skilful Argentine Pablo Aimar playing just off the front two.

That would be about the most attacking line-up Cuper has at his disposal, a gamble Kily believes Valencia must be prepared to take.

BEST DEFENCES
"For me, this match will see a match-up between the two best defences in Europe," he said.

"The game will rest on who can take the initiative, who can win the battle in midfield and who can take their chances."

It will be the first time that the losers of the two previous finals meet each other after Bayern crashed to a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United two years ago in Barcelona, conceding two goals in the dying minutes.

"That thorn is still deeply embedded. The team has sworn that it will win the title this time," Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld said.

But Hitzfeld said Bayern should not underestimate Valencia.

"The team is not in the final for the second time in a row for nothing," he said.

"It is a compact team with a very well organised defence, better than Real Madrid or Manchester United and in Kily Gonzalez, Carew or Mendieta they have very good offensive players."

The Germans are convinced they will win and erase the memory of their loss to Manchester United.

"The team must stretch itself once more and we will do it to bring the cup back to Munich," Hitzfeld said.

"This game is a huge deal. This is my world championship. The title is more important to me than all others," said Stefan Effenberg, who returns after missing the second leg of the semifinal through suspension.

Probable teams:
Bayern Munich: 1-Oliver Kahn; 2-Willy Sagnol, 4-Samuel Kuffour, 5-Patrik Andersson, 25-Thomas Linke, 3-Bixente Lizarazu; 23-Owen Hargreaves, 11-Stefan Effenberg; 20-Hasan Salihamidzic, 9-Elber, 7-Mehmet Scholl.

Valencia: 1-Santiago Canizares; 20-Jocelyn Angloma, 12-Fabian Ayala, 2-Mauricio Pellegrino, 15-Amedeo Carboni; 19-Ruben Baraja, 6-Gaizka Mendieta, 18-Kily Gonzalez, 35-Pablo Aimar; 17-Juan Sanchez, 7-John Carew.