Holders Inter Milan need a miracle at Schalke 04 if they want to make the European Champions League semi-finals after all on Wednesday.
Inter were humiliated 5-2 at home by the Germans a week ago at the San Siro in the first leg of their quarter-final tie.
Now they require a four-goal win away from home or at least a three-goal win with a higher scoreline than on April 5.
According to the Schalke website, only one team has ever come back from a three-goal home defeat in a continental cup match, Dinamo Bucharest against Slovan Liberec in 2009-10 Europa League qualifying.
Schalke have won all four games in the current Champions League campaign and have never been eliminated after winning the first game away from home. “We must try a thing that is impossible in itself, but this impossibility makes the challenge with Schalke fascinating,” said Inter president Massimo Moratti. Fans hung banners at the training centre in Appiano Gentile saying “Let’s try it” and “It is not over, nothing is impossible.” Christian Chivu is suspended after being sent off in the first leg, but Argentina full-back Walter Samuel is back in the roster three months after knee surgery, although he will almost certainly not start.
Diego Milito, is close to full recovery from muscular trouble and is to play upfront next to Samuel Eto’o, with Goran Pandev available for a three-pronged attack in search of the miracle.
“We must remain concentrated,” said Moratti, whose team got some confidence out of a 2-0 weekend win against Chievo Verona.
But Schalke will be taking nothing for granted against Inter, who managed to overturn a one-goal home defeat against another German club, Bayern Munich, in the round of 16.
The western Germans have seen a turn to the better after Ralf Rangnick replaced Felix Magath as coach three weeks ago, winning the last two league matches apart from the triumph in Milan.
Rangnick said that “I will be calm if we are three or four goals ahead with five minutes left” and added that his team will not simply conserve the advantage. “We are not a team that defends,” said Rangnick.
Veteran left back Hans Sarpei agreed: “We must attack from the start. If we don’t do anything on the pitch then we will be eliminated, regardless of the first-leg score.” Schalke will be without suspended winger Jeffersen Farfan, but Spanish veteran Raul Gonzalez will be ready to further raise his tally of so far 70 goals in the elite event.
