UEFA Champions League Preview: Tottenham Hotspurs – Inter Milan (Part 1)
The return leg Inter-Tottenham group stage matches will be played at White Hart lane tonight. This match will see Rafa Benitez return to England for the first time ever since he left the Anfield based Liverpool FC for pastures new. Benitez
has a less than impressive head-to-head record at White Hart Lane as the Spaniard was handed defeats in his last three visits. However, Inter are a completely different side to Liverpool and the war of wits will be a spectacle to watch.
Spurs looking for redemption
Tottenham Hotspurs were taught a footballing lesson by reigning European Champions a fortnight ago. In the ear shattering atmosphere of Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Nerazzuri blitzed to a 4 – 0 lead by the half time; Gomes’ sending off didn’t
help the spurs cause either. Even though Gareth Bale mounted a one man challenge with a sublime hat trick, Inter war the better side by far.
Harry Redknapp side now has an ideal opportunity to put one over the Italian Champions. With Nerazzuri struggling for goals in recent times, Gareth Bale and co will be optimistic of getting a result. However, Spurs have not been impressive
of late. The side comes in to this tie on a back of 2 – 0 defeat at the hands of Manchester United. Redknapp will have to make sure form matters for little when his troops line up at White Hart Lane.
Inter looking for early qualification
Inter Milan has the chance of cementing a round of 16 place tonight. Should FC Twente and Werder Bremen play out a draw, and Inter manage to bag the three points, Benitez’s side will be through. On domestic front, the Milan giants have
not been the swashbuckling mean machine that we have come to know in recent years. Even though Rafa’s men stand second in the league, SS Lazio have stolen the limelight and Aquile sit atop the league charts with a four point cushion.
On continental stage, Nerazzuri have continued from where they left off last season. Jose Mourinho won an unprecedented treble with the San Siro based outfit. Inter won the UEFA Champions League after 46 years as ‘the special one’ left
the club a cult hero.
With Rafa Benitez, Inter has hit the ground running; Nerazzuri showed their European pedigree a fortnight ago with a thumping 4 – 3 victory over Tottenham, but, Tottenham are a force to reckon with at home and Benitez must warn his players
against complacency.
Nerazzuri are on a good run of form, their only defeat of the season coming against AS Roma at Stadio Olimpico. Even though the all conquering, goal scoring Inter from last season is a sight too rare, Nerazzuri show their Champion pedigree
by drilling out results; one can expect more of the same tonight.
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