Mourinho backs Chelsea or Barca to win Champions League

Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho believes the winner of tomorrow night’s Champions League semi-final between Chelsea and Barcelona will go on to lift the trophy.

Last-year’s beaten finalists welcome Barca to Stamford Bridge with the tie delicately poised following a goalless draw at the Nou Camp last week.

Mourinho, who left the Premier League side in 2007 after three years at the helm, is confident the match will be a different prospect than their first encounter, where a defence-minded Chelsea shut out Pep Guardiola’s men.

“The team that wins this game will be champions,” he told Sky Italia. “Did I like how Chelsea played or not? I don’t know. It’s my old team and for me it’s difficult to judge.

“What I can say is that it is the strongest team in the world in physical terms.

“Certainly they didn’t do anything to score, but if (Guus) Hiddink is confident they can win at home that result they got will be a great result.”

The former assistant Barca coach knows it will be difficult to prevent the Catalan giants, fresh from their 6-2 demolition of title-rivals Real Madrid, from scoring tomorrow.

Mourinho added: “Barca have already shown what they can do when they have more space. So it will be a great second leg.”