Special battle awaits Inter

IT WILL be the Champions League battle of the Special Ones.

In one corner, the game’s most charismatic manager Jose Mourinho and his Inter Milan side, in the other, the planet’s most awesome football talent Lionel Messi spearheading the challenge of champions Barcelona.

Though last night’s quarter-finals were contrasting spectacles, Mourinho is convinced that his team are on the brink of European glory.

But it remains to be seen if that silverware will come next month in Madrid. Given the performance of their semi-final opponents against Arsenal, it looks unlikely but, not for the first time in his career, Mourinho was talking up his team.

“We have reached the semi-finals in a deserved and comforting way,” he said after Inter’s win over CSKA Moscow (2-0 on aggregate).

“This team has faith and a capacity that can help them win.

“We are playing in the Champions League with great faith, and if we don’t win it now then we will within a couple of years because we are on the right track.”

Inter last made it into the final four of the competition in 2003 but lost to city rivals AC Milan.

“The plan was to score before them,” said Mourinho of the game’s only goal from Wesley Sneijder after six minutes

“In Milan, we scored on the 10th shot. Today we scored on the first one and the tie was in the pocket.

“True, maybe it wasn’t the most exciting game, but the real prize was reaching the semi-finals.

“There were 500 Inter fans here in Moscow and our job was to make the semi-finals, not put on a show, and that’s what we did.”

CSKA coach Leonid Slutsky lamented the quick-fire strike

“The quick goal made the task extremely difficult,” he said. “Yes, we lost. But we never gave up. We played well.”

Slutsky appeared content to have led his side to their first Champions League quarter-final.

“I can’t hold anything against my men today.

“They did all they could,” he said.