Mancini plays

down Champions League clash

Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini has moved to take some of the importance out of tomorrow night's Champions League clash with Liverpool, claiming there would be 'no drama' if his side were to be knocked out.


arrive at the San Siro with a two-goal lead from the first leg at Anfield and are firm favourites to complete the job on Tuesday.


And Mancini is preparing for the worst while reiterating that defeat would not compromise the work done so far by his side who lead by six points with 11 matches to play.

'I don't think that a whole season can rest on one single game,' he said. 'It will be a difficult evening, but we do have a chance of doing it.

'Whatever the result, our season will continued and it does not end tomorrow.'

The Nerazzurri celebrated their 100th anniversary yesterday, but there were no gifts given to Mancini from the club's treatment room.

Only Cristian Chivu has recovered to join the remainder of the squad which defeated Reggina 2-0 on Saturday, while Marco Materazzi will be suspended for the game after his red card from the first leg.

Mancini has yet to come to terms with first-half dismissal in Liverpool, a decision which he believes contributed to making the situation tomorrow so delicate.

Mancini said: 'Each game has its own story and so we will have to see how this one goes.

'It is not going to be easy because we had to play there for 60 minutes with 10 men and this put us in danger.

'They were lucky in the first half in that we had one man less, but then they are a strong team and I don't think it is any coincidence that they become an even bigger team for the big matches.'

That is precisely what Inter have done throughout the current Serie A campaign, beating Roma, AC Milan and Fiorentina on their way to opening up their lead at the top of Serie A.

With tough fixtures against Juventus, Milan and Fiorentina still to come, Mancini is not expecting an easy ride on the domestic front, which perhaps explains his ease at accepting his side may no longer be in the Champions League.

'This season is not going to be like the last one and it will be decided at the end,' he said. 'Clubs with a history of 100 years like Inter, who have played thousands of games in Europe cannot think of it as a drama if we go out early.

'We have a difficult season - a very difficult season.'

But even in adversity, Mancini expects his side to give it one last shot and attempt to make history in a competition which can be full of surprises.

'I am not at all pessimistic and I believe that chances do exist,' he said.

'There have been lots of evenings in the Champions League or UEFA Cup when big leads have been overturned.

'Inter has got to play a perfect game without giving Liverpool much room. We have got to give our maximum and of course we risk going out - when two big clubs like this play, then of course there is a risk, but anything is possible.'




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