Inter Milan coach Rafael Benitez couldn’t defeat Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham Hotspur in any of his last three meetings (then as a Liverpool manager) at White Hart Lane.
But tonight’s Champions League clash will give the Spanish boss another opportunity to try his luck against Spurs in London. Inter Milan top Group A after they managed to hold on to a victory against Harry Redknapp’s men at the San Siro two weeks ago.
A win at the Lane will assure the Champions League titleholders tickets for the Round of 16. Inter Milan are poised anyway to cross the group stages of the competition and Rafael Benitez has hope in his team although key player and goalkeeper Julio Cesar is set to be missing for the match.
“We’ve got 21 players with us and all of them are available for selection. All teams have injuries, either way,” the ex-Liverpool boss told the press.
“Inter Milan are a very good team, and that’s why we are where we are at the moment. It’s not because I’m a Champions League specialist.
“In the past, the team found it hard to get through the group stages of the Champions League. But tonight, if we win, we’ll be through. This means that we’ll be able to relax and prepare for more league games.”
Like Inter Milan, Tottenham Hotspur also have their own reasons to win tonight’s European encounter. Spurs were so close to stealing something at the San Siro, but their early mistakes haunted them until the end of the match. Coach Harry Redknapp is therefore determined to lead his side to a better result than the 4-3 defeat they suffered in Italy the last time out.
Despite occupying the second position in Group A, qualification for the Last 16 of the Champions League isn’t safe yet; Twente and Werder Bremen both stand a mathematical chance of making it through to the next stage.
“It’s a tight group, and we need to get something from this [Tottenham Hotspur vs Inter Milan] game,” Redknapp was quoted as saying on the club’s official website. He continued his analysis of Spurs’ condition in the table, saying:
“It’s a very important match, especially with Werder Bremen playing Twente. If one of these two teams manages to win, then we will need to get points on the board as well.
“We’ll have to set a high tempo, play the way we want to play, and I think it will be a great night of football.”
Will the first 35 minutes of tonight’s Tottenham Hotspur vs Inter Milan Champions League match decide each team’s fate like it was the case in the first leg of this encounter at the San Siro?
A win at the Lane will assure the Champions League titleholders tickets for the Round of 16. Inter Milan are poised anyway to cross the group stages of the competition and Rafael Benitez has hope in his team although key player and goalkeeper Julio Cesar is set to be missing for the match.
“We’ve got 21 players with us and all of them are available for selection. All teams have injuries, either way,” the ex-Liverpool boss told the press.
“Inter Milan are a very good team, and that’s why we are where we are at the moment. It’s not because I’m a Champions League specialist.
“In the past, the team found it hard to get through the group stages of the Champions League. But tonight, if we win, we’ll be through. This means that we’ll be able to relax and prepare for more league games.”
Like Inter Milan, Tottenham Hotspur also have their own reasons to win tonight’s European encounter. Spurs were so close to stealing something at the San Siro, but their early mistakes haunted them until the end of the match. Coach Harry Redknapp is therefore determined to lead his side to a better result than the 4-3 defeat they suffered in Italy the last time out.
Despite occupying the second position in Group A, qualification for the Last 16 of the Champions League isn’t safe yet; Twente and Werder Bremen both stand a mathematical chance of making it through to the next stage.
“It’s a tight group, and we need to get something from this [Tottenham Hotspur vs Inter Milan] game,” Redknapp was quoted as saying on the club’s official website. He continued his analysis of Spurs’ condition in the table, saying:
“It’s a very important match, especially with Werder Bremen playing Twente. If one of these two teams manages to win, then we will need to get points on the board as well.
“We’ll have to set a high tempo, play the way we want to play, and I think it will be a great night of football.”
Will the first 35 minutes of tonight’s Tottenham Hotspur vs Inter Milan Champions League match decide each team’s fate like it was the case in the first leg of this encounter at the San Siro?
