European champions FC Internazionale Milano may have lost four of their last six games in all competitions – and won just two out of nine – but they have cause for optimism ahead of Wednesday’s FIFA Club World Cup semi-final against Asian champions Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma FC.
Victory would take Inter into Saturday’s decider against TP Mazembe of DR Congo, who became the first African team to get to the decider by beating 2006 winners SC Internacional of Brazil 2-0. Perhaps the biggest reason for cheer is the return of key players from injury, including Diego Milito, the forward who scored both goals in Inter’s UEFA Champions League final defeat of FC Bayern Munchen in May.
“I’m calm, happy and full of confidence,” was coach Rafael Benitez’s approach to the game against the AFC Champions League winners in Abu Dhabi, federal capital of the United Arab Emirates. Benitez, who lost the final of this competition with Liverpool FC against Sao Paulo FC in 2005, expects good things. “I watch Milito scoring great goals in training and I think: we are strong”, he said for uefa.com.
The 31-year-old Milito, who scored 22 Serie A goals, six in the UEFA Champions League and two in the Coppa Italia as Inter won a 2010 treble, has played only nine times in Serie A since because of injuries.
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