Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on February 19, 2011 - 11:13
FC Internazionale Milano host FC Bayern München in the first leg of Round of 16 matches. The first leg will be 02/23/2011 at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan. It offers a repeat of last May's UEFA Champions League final and a chance for Bayern to get belated revenge.
The teams also met in the UEFA Champions League in the 2006/07 group stage. Felix Magath's Bayern won 2-0 at Internazionale in September 2006 through goals from Claudio Pizarro and Lukas Podoski , with Internazionale reduced to nine men by the dismissals of Zlatan Ibrahimović and Fabio Grosso. Patrick Vieira's added-time equalizer earned Roberto Mancini's visitors a 1-1 draw in the Munich return, cancelling out Roy Makaay's opener.
For Bayern it is an early opportunity to avenge their defeat in a final that Inter won 2-0 to claim their first European crown in 45 years, and third overall. The Bavarian side can take heart from history, having won on their two previous trips to Milan to face Internazionale.
Bayern enter the contest with a superior record in this season's competition, having topped Group E with five wins. Only Real Madrid CF managed more than their 15 points and only Arsenal FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC scored more than Bayern's 16 goals.
This match marks Internazionale’s first in the UEFA Champions League since Leonardo replaced Rafael Benítez as coach in December. José Mourinho, architect of their victory against Bayern at the Santiago Bernabéu, left the club last summer.
Inter finished behind Tottenham in Group A with three wins, one draw and two defeats. Although beaten twice away, they are undefeated in ten UEFA Champions League home games and have won the last seven, including a 4-0 success against Bundesliga side SV Werder Bremen on Matchday 2. Inter's home record against German visitors is: W10 D1 L4.
Diego Milito will miss the first leg of FC Internazionale Milano's UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie against FC Bayern München after suffering a thigh strain during their 5-3 win against AS Roma. Milito, who scored both goals when Internazionale defeated the German side 2-0 in last season's final in Madrid, came on as a substitute with 20 minutes to play against Roma and sustained the injury just before the final whistle. Tests have confirmed that the forward incurred a second-degree strain to his left thigh, which is expected to keep him sidelined for a month, meaning he will sit out the Bayern first leg in Milan on 23 February and is also doubtful for the away return on 15 March.
Internazionale center-back Lúcio appears unlikely to feature in his side's UEFA Champions League round of 16 first-leg match against Bayern after picking up a thigh strain.
With injuries and a lesser record, it appears Bayern has the advantage in this one.