Eto’o’s Inter vs Toure’s Man City: Picking a combined Dream Team
Eto’o’s Inter vs Toure’s Man City: Picking a combined Dream Team
Eto’o’s Inter vs Toure’s Man City: Picking a combined Dream Team
We pick out the best individuals from the Nerazzurri’s treble-winning side of 09/10 and the Citizens team that picked up several titles in the 2010s
Julio Cesar (Goalkeeper)
While Joe Hart was instrumental in Manchester City’s rise to prominence, the Brazilian beats him to this XI owing to his inspirational displays in Inter Milan’s sublime 2009/10 campaign.
Julio Cesar’s impact between the sticks helped a tiring Nerazzurri in the final weeks of the season, with crucial saves in their hard-fought Champions League semi-final success over Barcelona and the decider against Bayern Munich.
His showing in the Coppa Italia final win over Roma was equally lauded, and his 17 clean sheets in the Serie A saw him named the division’s best goalkeeper.
The South American won the continent’s equivalent, too, as he cemented his standing as the outright best goalkeeper in Europe at the time and arguably the best in the world.
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Maicon (Right-back)
We had a really tough choice to make given Pablo Zabaleta’s influence in Man City’s era of dominance, but the Argentine misses out to another South American, who somewhat heralded the rise of the modern full-back.
Maicon’s rampaging runs down the right flank was an effective attacking weapon for Jose Mourinho’s side. He essentially controlled that wing in games where Inter utilised a diamond in midfield and was tasked with providing width.
Expectedly, the wideman was voted that season’s Uefa Defender of the Year and even made the shortlist for the 2010 Ballon d’Or, finishing 17th in the voting.
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Javier Zanetti (Left-back)
Inter’s inspirational captain was fundamental to the club’s treble-winning campaign and could have featured in midfield in this XI too, which emphasises his influence despite being 36 at the start of 2009/10.
The ageless Zanetti’s leadership and five-star performances were crucial in the Nerazzurri’s backs-to-the-wall run in Europe, which culminated in ending the club’s 45-year wait for success on the continent.
They may have been on the receiving end of jibes from their neighbours AC Milan for underachieving in Europe, but that 09/10 campaign surely silenced the Rossoneri for good.
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Vincent Kompany (Centre-back)
Despite eventually assuming the role of captain for most of Man City’s glorious years, Kompany wasn’t the team’s leader when they ended their 35-year wait for silverware with the FA Cup in 2011.
However, the rock-solid Belgian defender replaced Carlos Tevez as skipper and went on to become a core of the side that won two Premier League titles in 2012 and 2014, before adding back-to-back successes in 2018 and 2019.
Kompany’s leadership was vital throughout that period and he set the standard for that City side despite a spate of injuries eventually slowing him down in his final years in Manchester.
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Lucio (Centre-back)
Lucio was bought in summer 2009 as part of an aggressive spending spree that saw Inter strive to improve the overall quality in the side to thrive in Europe after years of disappointing.
The Brazilian’s tenacity and overall defensive prowess raised the bar in Mourinho’s team’s rearguard, which then gave the more advanced players confidence to focus on creating and scoring chances. They did that in the knowledge that one of the best defenders of his generation was keeping things organised behind them
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Esteban Cambiasso (Defensive midfield)
The Argentine was not only adept in breaking up play but equally capable on the ball, which proved to be useful for Mourinho’s outfit in their historic campaign.
Cambiasso also scored important strikes that season as well, with the winner in their 2-1 first-leg success over Chelsea at San Siro particularly noteworthy.
His all-round ability meant he was more than just a midfield destroyer for Mourinho’s men but also contributed in the team’s build-up play, highlighting his dynamism.
One of the unheralded figures in that 2010 side, the ex-Real Madrid star certainly proved his worth throughout the season.
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Fernandinho (Defensive midfield)
The Brazilian missed the 2012 dramatic title-winning year, but joined City before their impressive success in 13/14 and went on to become a mainstay in the side in the following seasons.
The former Shakhter Donetsk midfielder formed a formidable partnership with Yaya Toure in the middle of the park before Pep Guardiola arrived in 2016.
Fernandinho retained his status after the Spanish manager arrived in the Premier League and was pivotal in front of the defence as the Citizens became the only side to claim the championship with 100 points in 17/18, which turned out to be Yaya’s final season at the Etihad.
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David Silva (Attacking midfield)
Certainly one of the fulcrums of the Man City side, alongside Kompany and Toure, Silva’s importance in Manchester grew steadily over the years as he became one of the best playmakers of the Premier League era.
El Mago’s grace in possession, as well as the ability to spot and execute the final ball, is second to none, and his creativity helped the team unlock tight defences in the league.
Silva was named in the PFA Team of the Season on two occasions in 2012 and 2018, underlining how crucial he was in their years of success.
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Wesley Sneijder (Attacking midfield)
Mourinho transformed a previously inconsistent playmaker into a reliable creator for what was to be the Dutchman’s most impressive individual season of his career.
Sneijder ended the Champions League as the top assister with six and was rewarded by being named Uefa Midfielder of the Year.
Apologists bemoaned his Ballon d’Or snub, despite his impact in Inter’s memorable year.
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Sergio Aguero (Centre-forward)
The Argentine icon won Man City their first Premier League title in dramatic fashion with a 3-2 win over Queens Park Rangers with a last-gasp strike at the death.
This began the forward’s love story with the Citizens and he’s gone on to become the club’s all-time leading goalscorer.
Like Toure, Aguero has certainly been one of the Premier League’s greatest imports, having given the competition several iconic moments since joining in 2011.
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Diego Milito (Centre-forward)
While Sneijder got nearly all the praise and acclaim in Inter’s treble win, Milito was arguably more important for the Nerazzurri, ending top scorer for the Italian side in all competitions with 30 goals.
The prolific number nine crucially scored in gameweek 38’s 1-0 success at Siena to claim the Serie A by two points, the winning goal in the Coppa Italia final against league runners-up Roma and a double against Bayern Munich in the Champions League decider.
Deservedly, Milito was named the continent’s top forward, completing Inter’s clean sweep of the awards, after a truly incredible campaign.
The forward was voted Uefa’s outright best player of the season too, and it’s a surprise he didn’t make the final 23 for the Ballon d’Or.