There were lots of numbers thrown about following Inter's Champions League triumph on Saturday. Among them, Jose Mourinho becoming only the third coach to win European Cups with two sides, and success in the competition for the Milanese club for the first time in 45 years.

But while the Special One hogged most of the headlines, Argentina forward Diego Milito had the most pertinent stats in the context of the match. Shots: 2; Shots on Target: 2; Goals: 2.

His was a classic, clinical poacher's performance.

With his opportunities rationed by Inter's strategy of conceding possession and territory and hitting swiftly on the counter-attack - the Italian side had only 41 per cent of possession - Milito remained razor sharp during long periods on the fringes to produce two sublime finishes.

It is this ability to strike at a moment's notice that sets the matchwinners apart.

Gary Lineker did not have much to offer as a footballer other than an ability to score lots of goals, mostly from six-yard range, including 10 in World Cup finals. Ditto Pippo Inzaghi for Juve, Milan and Italy.

Lionel Messi often drifts out of matches for periods, but 47 goals in 53 matches this season would indicate he is 'on' when he has to be.

The ability to pounce at a moment's notice sets apart the gun performers in many sports.

While some players fret and go off the boil if they don't spend lots of time in the contest gathering lots of possession, others seem able to make the telling contribution whenever they are called upon.

Drawing an AFL parallel, Mickey Conlan emerged from the Waverley mist to win an elimination final for Fitzroy without having had a sniff all day, and these days Fev seems to be able to go missing for quarters at a time before delivering a bag in one burst.

In AFL and soccer, where winning strategies are often built on rock-solid defence, the rewards often go to the most patient, to those teams, like Inter on Saturday, prepared to bide their time and wait for the moment to produce the goods.

It might seem an ultra-cautious approach, and Mourinho has been criticised at times in his coaching career for building winning but not necessarily attractive teams.

But who can argue with the Portuguese's record: six league titles in three countries, plus two European and a stack of domestic cups to his name.

And if such a conservative approach produces moments of such skill and spectacle as Milito conjured in Madrid, I'm sure most fans would think it worth the wait.