Holders expect cautious approach from Italians

SUSPENSION-HIT holders Porto expect to face a packed Inter Milan defence in the first leg of tonight’s Champions League knockout round tie at the Estadio De Dragao.

“It will be a very difficult game,” Porto coach Jose Couceiro said yesterday.

“From what I’ve seen the Italian team is counting on resolving the tie in the second leg. (They’re) coming to Porto to play cautious defence and not concede any goals, aiming for a draw.”

Inter Milan midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron suggested otherwise.

“It won’t be an easy match but we are going there to win and to try and have as few problems as possible for the second leg,” the Argentine said.

Porto were in danger of not making the knockout phase but their 2-1 win over Chelsea in December ensured they squeezed through.

The victory against former manager Jose Mourinho’s team was one of the few highlights of their this years European campaign.

They will be without suspended captain Jorge Costa in defence and Brazilian playmaker Diego. In addition Brazilians Ibson, Leo Lima and Leandro are ineligible.

After a poor start Porto are level with Benfica at the top of the Portuguese league with 41 points from 22 matches.

“We started the league campaign really badly but...if we beat Inter then we’ll send a message out to say we have what it takes to do it again,” Porto’s South African striker Benni McCarthy said.

Inter coach Roberto Mancini is expected to ask 20-year-old Nigerian striker Obafemi Martins to partner Brazilian Adriano in attack. Veron should start on the right of midfield.

Martins’ pace is likely to give him the advantage over Christian Vieri, who will probably start on the bench.

Italian Marco Materazzi will probably be preferred to Serb Sinisa Mihajlovic in the centre of defence alongside Colombian Ivan Cordoba.

Mancini made a surprise decision in leaving Uruguayan forward Alvaro Recoba and Dutch midfielder Edgar Davids out of his travelling party.

(Probable teams): PORTO: Baia, Seitaridis, Emanuel, Costa, Valente, Bosingwa, Ribeiro, Costinha, Fabiano, Quasresma, McCarthy.

INTER MILAN: Toldo, Zanetti, Cordoba, Materazzi, Favalli, Veron, Zanetti, Cambiasso, Stankovic, Adriano, Martins.

Referee: Graham Poll (England).