Inter to force Schalke to fight for semi spot
Leonardo's record as a Champions League coach is one of the strangest that you will ever see, with the Brazilian tactician failing to win any of his six as a host at the San Siro yet losing just one of five on the road, enjoying victories away to Marseille, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
That's perhaps one of the reasons why some of the most respected men in European football, such as Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho, are refusing to write off Inter's chances of recovering from the 5-2 defeat they suffered at home to Schalke, even though they are priced at [23.0] to progress.
The other is that, despite their slump under Rafael Benitez and defensive struggles with Leonardo - largely a consequence of Walter Samuel's injury absence - they retain the never-say-die spirit that saw them crowned European champions under Mourinho, as proven on their last visit to Germany.
Inter beat Bayern 3-2 at the Allianz Arena without even playing that well so if they perform to full capacity tonight, with Lucio returning to restore the defensive solidity so evidently lacking in the first leg, they have to be fancied to triumph at [2.6], even if qualification is unlikely to be achieved.
It's on occasions like this that Samuel Eto'o tends to show why, despite having won the Champions League three times and scored twice in the final, he remains one of the most underrated players on the planet.
The former Barcelona star was superb in the comeback against Bayern and sent them on their way with a third-minute strike. Given the need to net early is even greater this time, and Schalke's vow to attack, consider backing him to score first at [7.0], and the opener to come within ten minutes at [4.7].
Schalke v Inter
Kick-off: 7.45pm
Live on Sky Sports 2
Disagree? Schalke are [2.84] to sustain their perfect home record...
Published: 13 Apr 2011
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