Although Italy’s Inter Milan and Russia’s CSKA Moscow started the competition slowly and were considered underdogs to reach the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, neither of them will be happy with anything less than advancing to the semifinals.
The Road to the Quarterfinals 2009/2010
When the original draw for the group stage of the CL took place, Inter coach Jose Mourinho must have considered himself cursed. His Inter Milan team was drawn into the same group as defending CL trophy holders Barcelona. This was an especially cruel twist of fate considering Mourinho was brought to Inter specifically to win this tournament. Fortunately for Inter, the other two teams in their group were Russia’s FK Rubin Kazan and Ukraine’s Dynamo Kiev and two of the four teams would advance to the knockout round.
Although Inter took only three points from their first three games, they claimed six points from the next three and finished second in Group F with nine points, behind Barcelona who finished with 11. Just when Mourinho thought he might be able to breathe a sigh of relief Inter were drawn against his former team Chelsea in the knockout stage. Although Inter were heavy underdogs against the English powerhouse, Mourinho showed his worth with a coaching masterpiece that propelled Inter to a 3-1 aggregate victory and a spot in the quarterfinals.
CSKA Moscow probably considered themselves the unluckiest team in Europe, aside from Inter, when the group draw was announced and they found themselves matched with Manchester United. Along with United, they would face Germany’s VFL Wolfsburg and Turkey’s Besiktas. CSKA found themselves in a similar position to Inter after three games, having taken only three points and sitting in third place.
Much like Inter, they hit their stride in the second half of the group stage and took seven points from three games to finish second in the group with 10 points. That run included a 3-3 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford. Manchester United ended up winning the group with 13 points but CSKA knew at that point they could play with anyone. In the first round of the knockout stage CSKA played Spanish side Sevilla. Although Sevilla were favored, primarily because they were from the much more high-profile La Liga, CSKA won 3-2 on aggregate.
Domestic form
For as good as Inter have been in the CL, they have been equally poor in Serie A. Their 10-point lead they enjoyed just two months ago is now a one point lead over AS Roma, with AC Milan a further two points behind. Inter have taken just 11 points from their last nine league matches. Of course the league trophy is important but it is clearly not the trophy of choice this year for the Nerazzurri. Inter have won their domestic trophy four years in a row but have not raised the CL trophy since Mourinho was two years old. Despite their poor domestic form as of late they have been very strong in the CL a
nd Mourinho will have them ready for CSKA Moscow.
CSKA are undefeated in the Russian Premier League this year and have played amazingly. Okay, so their league just started three weeks ago but they still haven’t lost! While they haven’t won their domestic trophy since 2006, they haven’t finished outside the top five during that period either. This team has shown their strength in the CL so far and should be a strong favorite to finish first in Russia this year.
Players to watch
When the ball is bouncing their way, Inter can score goals with the best of them. Although Samuel Eto’o is not the same player he was at Barcelona, he can still score clutch goals. Diego Milito is currently second in Serie A with 18 goals. Goran Pandev is also a potent goal scorer who can play up front with Eto’o and Milito in a 4-3-3 or provide scoring off the bench.
The player at the center of this team who truly makes the offense go is Wesley Sneijder. Sneijder dominated Chelsea in the second leg of their match at Stamford Bridge and has been Inter’s best player all year. He is extremely consistent and can pass the ball well, score from open play, and score from free kicks. There is no way to stop h
im, at least not one that has been identified.
Whereas Inter Milan have many high-profile players who are well-known to teams and fans around the world, CSKA Moscow have some well-kept secrets within their ranks. Guess who has scored more goals in the CL between Wayne Rooney, Lionel Messi, and CSKA Moscow midfielder Milos Krasnic? You might be surprised to learn they have each scored four. Who has scored more goals between Didier Drogba, Cesc Fabregas, and CSKA’s Alan Dzagoev? They have each scored three and I think you see where I am going.
While many fans might not be aware of Krasnic, the top teams in Italy, Spain, and England are. Krasnic has been rumored to be heading to the top teams in pretty much every league in the world in the past year. I am still hoping to find an article linking him to Seattle Sounders FC but unless I write it myself I am not optimistic I will find one. Keisuke Honda is another fantastic player who will need to be at his best for CSKA to progress to the semifinals.
