Things are pretty quiet on the Inter front ahead as we approach kickoff with Valencia. I have to admit that I'm so nervous that I'm almost physically ill. In a few hours, we'll know for sure whether or not this Inter side is a great one, as these are the types of games that great teams somehow find a way to win. This is the biggest match for Inter in many years. Even when we were close to winning titles, there was never the feeling that we were so close to retaking a spot as the elite team in the sport. This season's squad gave that vibe during their amazing winning streak and to fall out of Europe now would be a major disappointment.
- La Gazzetta has some last minute housekeeping, speculating as to whether or not Maxwell will take Burdisso's place in the side (likely), or Solari will take Figo's (not as likely). Santi in for Luigi would cause us to play with Stankovic behind the strikers. And speaking of strikers, the paper seems to think that it is 50/50 as to which Argentine, Crespo or Cruz, gets the start up front. The two are tied for fourth place on Inter's all time CL scoring list. Crespo didn't surprise me as he had that great CL campaign in his first stint here but sometimes one tends to forget that Julio Cruz, since he came to Inter, has done nothing but score goals when he's called upon. He doesn't complain that he's perenially passed over for a first team spot, he just quietly does his job.
- Here's the roundup of preview links for today:
The Offside - CL
UEFA
Goal.com
ESPN
Inter.it
World Soccer
In conclusion, I have absolutely no idea what is going to happen in this game. None. As I've said on this blog a few times before, though, I decided a while ago that I won't let anything this team does surprise me. So what the hell... I'll make a prediction: Inter get their two goals, a little breathing room and a 2-1 win...