Time to erase bad memories

Bayern were a dejected side after the 1999 final

For the winner of this year's Champions League final the taste of victory will be sweeter than ever.

For the losers, defeat will be desperately hard to take.

That is because both Valencia and Bayern Munich know how it feels to be beaten at the final hurdle.

Bayern have already gone some way to erasing the memory of their injury time heartbreak in 1999 by eliminating their victors on that occasion, Man Utd.

The wounds of defeat may not have been so deep for Valencia, but they are fresher as they missed out at the expense of Real Madrid in last year's final.

Cuper cuts a distraught figure after last year's defeat

And the agony has been even greater for Valencia coach Hector Cuper, having missed out as Real Mallorca's boss in the 1999 Cup Winners' Cup final to Lazio.

"It could be a case of third time lucky," he said. "We have to win it this time."

And he added: "I think I said after the final last year that I would give anything to have another chance in the final.

"Well I'd give my life, and the afterlife, to win the title this time."

And so now both teams have the perfect opportunity to prove they have learnt from those experiences.

Even contest

But what can we expect from the final?

Well, the two teams would appear to be fairly evenly matched.

Ottmar Hitzfeld and Cuper both have well-drilled sides who are able to combine the ability of the likes of Gaizka Mendieta and Mehmet Scholl with a work-rate to match.

So plenty of honest endeavour should be on show and as you would expect at the crowning stage of Europe's premier competition a tight match is predicted.

Forwards Giovane Elber and Juan Sanchez have proved themselves as recognised goalscorers at this level, with six and five goals respectively to their names in this year's competition.

But in Oliver Kahn and Santiago Canizares both sides have international renowned goalkeepers, protected by resolute defences.

Bayern may have had the tougher route to the final but both sides will swap a performance for a result in the San Siro on Wednesday.