Can the Special One, in just his second season, lead Inter Milan to a Champions League Final? What seemed a distant reality just a few months ago is looking a real possibility for Jose Mourinho now.

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Of course Inter have there many doubters. Unlike their red-and-black neighbours, their record in the Champions League is poor. But next May at El Santiago Bernabeu you can mark my words that Mourinho's team will be there.

Inter are well on their way to claiming yet another Serie A title. Five points clear and with the strongest squad in Italy in terms of depth, they are quoted as 2/7 title favourites - and we're only in mid-November.

Inter claimed a morale-boosting win in the deep freeze of Kiev and now they will play the tricky Rubin Kazan at San Siro. Win that and it's a guaranteed ticket to the knockout stages.

Mourinho's transfer policy of getting rid of deadwood has always been uncannily superb. Think what you will of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the fact is the Swede rarely provides the goods in the heat of the biggest moments.

One thinks of his pairing at Juventus with David Trezeguet; the fixture against Arsenal at Highbury; why Jens Lehmann could have caught the express to his old city club of Dortmund and back and still either player would have been misfiring and chopping uselessly at the ball.

Goodbye Zlatan, hello Walter Samuel - and while we're saying hello, there's also a small matter of £30m. Mourinho is in complete charge of Inter, make no mistake.

He even has outspoken club president Massimo Moratti under his spell. Moratti, of course, was Zlatan's No.1. fan. Alas, Mourinho knew only too well that he needed a change up front.

In getting to the final we will see the lucky side, the ugly side and the downright skilful side of Inter.

Witness the lucky side that were bottom of their group with a few minutes remaining in Kiev but ended up top of the group with two well-taken late goals.

Against Barcelona, who were superior in every way to Inter at the San Siro, they played ugly. A 0-0 draw was all that Mourinho could have hoped for.

However well Inter can play, they will not be beating any teams in the Champions League for fun.

A Champions League final or perhaps champions of Europe would cement Mourinho as possibly the greatest manager of his generation.