Louis van Gaal disregarded Inter’s style of play ahead of tonight’s Champions League match at the San Siro. But Coach Leonardo has now come out to warn Bayern Munich of a "champion team" performance from Inter.
The Inter coach will be making his debut in the Champions League with the Nerazzurri and he wants his men to play some good attacking football. Leonardo has been left with only two forwards at his disposal – Samuel Eto’o and Goran Pandev.
However, his confidence hasn’t been affected as he expects Inter to play like Champions and to make the most of the competition’s special atmosphere. In a long encounter with the press, Coach Leonardo commentated on his club’s Last 16 match against Bayern Munich and on the UEFA Champions League in general. He explained:
“I like the offensive mentality of the Champions League. This competition puts many great players and great teams with big objectives together.
“This means that there is a will to play, rather than to contain. Inter are the reigning champions and we can fight against any team. We will fight with all our strength.
“Yes, we have the strength to cope with difficulty and this makes us feel strong. We will play like a champion team.
“Inter and Bayern both have resources to play in any minute and they are capable of playing each other on the same level. Every match is different, and of course, the best players will be on the pitch.
“We arrive for the game with high motivation, and as for Bayern's weaknesses, every team has them. But Inter are always Inter, and Bayern are always Bayern. But, we want to win.”
Leonardo’s 21-man squad for Wednesday night’s Inter vs Bayern Munich Champions League match goes as follows:
Goalkeepers: Julio Cesar, Luca Castellazzi, Paolo Orlandoni
Defenders: Ivan Cordoba, Javier Zanetti, Lucio, Maicon, Andrea Ranocchia, Marco Materazzi, Cristian Chivu, Yuto Nagatomo
Midfielders: Dejan Stankovic, Thiago Motta, Wesley Sneijder, Houssine Kharja, MacDonald Mariga, Esteban Cambiasso, Joel Obi, Philippe Coutinho
Strikers: Samuel Eto'o, Goran Pandev.
However, his confidence hasn’t been affected as he expects Inter to play like Champions and to make the most of the competition’s special atmosphere. In a long encounter with the press, Coach Leonardo commentated on his club’s Last 16 match against Bayern Munich and on the UEFA Champions League in general. He explained:
“I like the offensive mentality of the Champions League. This competition puts many great players and great teams with big objectives together.
“This means that there is a will to play, rather than to contain. Inter are the reigning champions and we can fight against any team. We will fight with all our strength.
“Yes, we have the strength to cope with difficulty and this makes us feel strong. We will play like a champion team.
“Inter and Bayern both have resources to play in any minute and they are capable of playing each other on the same level. Every match is different, and of course, the best players will be on the pitch.
“We arrive for the game with high motivation, and as for Bayern's weaknesses, every team has them. But Inter are always Inter, and Bayern are always Bayern. But, we want to win.”
Leonardo’s 21-man squad for Wednesday night’s Inter vs Bayern Munich Champions League match goes as follows:
Goalkeepers: Julio Cesar, Luca Castellazzi, Paolo Orlandoni
Defenders: Ivan Cordoba, Javier Zanetti, Lucio, Maicon, Andrea Ranocchia, Marco Materazzi, Cristian Chivu, Yuto Nagatomo
Midfielders: Dejan Stankovic, Thiago Motta, Wesley Sneijder, Houssine Kharja, MacDonald Mariga, Esteban Cambiasso, Joel Obi, Philippe Coutinho
Strikers: Samuel Eto'o, Goran Pandev.
