inter 1-2

Independent:

Cambiasso strike secures slim advantage for Inter
Internazionale 2 Chelsea 1
By Mark Fleming at San Siro

Europe is still proving to be Chelsea's Achilles' heel. They produced some great football at times against Internazionale last night, enjoying the bulk of the possession and creating by far the greater number of attempts on goal, but they were ultimately undone by the man out of whose shadow they still struggle to emerge.
Jose Mourinho, the man who led Chelsea to more trophies than any other manager in the club's history, was the architect of their downfall on a night when the football far exceeded the pre-match expectation.
Chelsea still find it tough to impose themselves in Europe. On the ground where a week ago Manchester United pulled off a memorable victory over Milan, Chelsea had their moments but in the end face an uphill task if they are to make it through to the quarter-finals. Carlo Ancelotti was brought in as Chelsea manager in the summer to improve on their record of never having won the Champions League despite reaching the semi-finals five times in the past six seasons. Going out in the second round was not part of the plan.
Salomon Kalou's second-half goal gives Chelsea hope they can overturn the deficit when the teams meet again next month at Stamford Bridge. But they are likely to have to do it without their influential goalkeeper Petr Cech, who was carried off after an hour with a calf injury.
Losing the first leg is one thing; but to lose such a player as Cech at such a key moment in the season could be of much greater consequence to the Premier League leaders. Cech has been close to his best form in recent weeks, but as he was taken off after falling awkwardly catching a routine cross Ancelotti feared the worst.
It was a blow that could have cost Chelsea dear, but replacement Henrique Hilario was not really tested in the final 30 minutes of the match. Unfortunately for Chelsea, by that time the damage had already been done.
The careful planning Ancelotti had put into this match was undone in the third minute. Thiago Motta found Samuel Eto'o and the Cameroon international passed to Wesley Sneijder, who threw a dummy to allow the ball on to Diego Milito. The Argentine took a touch and turned inside John Terry with alarming ease before dispatching a low shot inside Cech's near post. Mourinho was the picture of restraint in the home dugout, nodding his head as if somehow this had been just as he had planned it.
The early goal forced Chelsea out of their shell, giving life to a game that before kick-off had all the makings of a tight, tactical contest. Instead it was a flowing contest between two of the finest sides left in the competition. For once, the football lived up to the billing as the match took on a rhythm of thrust and counter-thrust. After all the pre-match talk dominated by the contrasting characters of the two managers, it was refreshing to see the players express themselves with such enthusiastic creativity.
The visitors, decked out all in white, recovered their composure as Internazionale began to dish out the physical stuff, with Michael Ballack receiving a boot in the face from Thiago Motta, who was booked. The German was also fouled by Dejan Stankovic, providing Didier Drogba with a chance from a free-kick. The Ivorian stepped up and hit a dipping shot that thumped against the crossbar of the Internazionale goal and bounced down to safety, a yard in front of the goal.
A feature of Chelsea's play was the willingness of both full-backs to push forward at every opportunity. Florent Malouda proved to be an able stand-in at left-back, bombing forward as often as he could. It also came as little surprise when a run by the energetic Branislav Ivanovic, the unsung hero of the Chelsea team this season, created the equaliser. The Serbian defender carried the ball far further than he should have been allowed, before he teed up Kalou, who placed his shot through a forest of players, which probably explains why Julio Cesar failed to keep it out. Kalou's goal, and his all-round display, justified Ancelotti's decision to pick him ahead of Joe Cole.
Much though Chelsea deserved to be level, parity lasted only four minutes as Internazionale hit back in spectacular fashion. Ricardo Carvalho headed away Sneijder's cross only as far as Esteban Cambiasso, whose initial shot was blocked by John Terry. Internazionale's Argentinian midfielder latched on to the rebound in an instant, and fired an unstoppable shot past Cech. It was to prove Cech's last meaningful action in the game, as he was carried off shortly afterwards.
The Inter fans packed into San Siro saluted the goalkeeper as he departed in obvious pain. Initial reports that Cech had torn his cruciate ligament proved incorrect, but the calf strain could not have come at a worse time for Chelsea who cannot afford any more defensive slips in the return leg.
The Spanish referee Manuel Mejuto Gonzalez did Chelsea no favours, denying them a clear penalty in first-half stoppage time. Kalou bore down on the Internazionale goal, only to have his heels clipped by Walter Samuel. Gonzalez turned down Chelsea's claims for a penalty, although subsequent TV replays showed he had got the decision wrong.
The tie is now perfectly poised for the second leg in three weeks' time, a tempting prize for either side to claim at Stamford Bridge. Mourinho's team has laid the foundation for making the manager's return to his old stamping ground a triumphant one. Yet Ancelotti will have seen enough in Chelsea's vibrant performance to give him the belief that his side can prosper. He just has to pass that belief on to his players, who have to overcome Internazionale and the psychological scars of years of failure in Europe.
Internazionale (4-3-1-2): Julio Cesar; Maicon, Samuel, Lucio, Zanetti; Stankovic (Muntari, 84), Cambiasso, Thiago Motta (Balotelli, 58); Sneijder; Milito, Eto'o (Pandev, 67). Substitutes not used: Toldo (gk), Cordoba, Quaresma, Mariga.
Chelsea (4-3-2-1): Cech (Hilario 61); Ivanovic, Carvalho, Terry, Malouda; Ballack, Mikel, Lampard; Anelka, Kalou (Sturridge, 78); Drogba. Substitutes not used: J Cole, Alex, Belletti, Bruma, Borini.
Referee: M Gonzalez (Spain).

Man for man marking, by Jon Culley
Internazionale
Julio Cesar
Beaten when Drogba's free-kick hit bar. Should have done better when Kalou equalised. 5/10
Maicon
Struggled against Kalou and Malouda defensively but powerful threat going forward. 6
Walter Samuel
Generally solid but lucky not to concede a penalty when he brought down Kalou. 6
Lucio
Inter's best defender, spotting danger early and seldom letting anyone pass him 8
Javier Zanetti
Not tested enough along flank by Anelka or Ivanovic, giving him licence to go forward 6
Dejan Stankovic
Broke down attacks and helped central defenders counter Drogba's threat. 7
Esteban Cambiasso
Impressive work rate in front of back four and shot for second goal was unstoppable. 7
Thiago Motta
Under pressure after early yellow card but did well against Lampard and Ballack. 6
Wesley Sneijder
Innovative and unpredictable, worried Chelsea throughout with his speed. 8
Samuel Eto'o
Supplied pass for opening goal but miskick on 33 minutes wasted a great chance for 2-0. 6
Diego Milito
Took his goal clinically and combined well with Eto'o to keep Chelsea stretched. 7
Substitutes
Mario Balotelli (for Motta, 58) 5; Goran Pandev (for Eto'o, 67); 6 Sulley Muntari (for Stankovic, 84) n/a
Chelsea
Petr Cech
Exposed by Terry's mistake for Milito's goal, no chance against Cambiasso. 6/10
Branislav Ivanovic
Steady at back, offered little going forward until paved way for Kalou's equaliser. 6
Ricardo Carvalho
More secure than Terry in central defence but dragged wide by Malouda's vulnerability. 6
John Terry
At fault letting Milito turn him too easily for opening goal. Lucky over Eto's miskick 4
Florent Malouda
No full-back, he struggled against Maicon, even more against pace of Balotelli. 4
John Obi Mikel
Tried sensibly to put width into Chelsea's , but kept too busy against Sneijder. 5
Michael Ballack
Popped up to test Cesar in first half, but quality of passing was below standard. 4
Frank Lampard
Laboured after missing weekend game but almost scored after 64 minutes. 6
Nicolas Anelka
Struggled to make an impression in attack and a little careless in his defending. 5
Didier Drogba
Hit bar with superb free-kick and his power was always the biggest threat to Inter. 7
Salomon Kalou
Fine, controlled finish for Chelsea's equaliser but did not deliver enough crosses. 6
Substitutes
Hilario (for Cech, 61) 6; Daniel Sturridge (for Kalou, 77) 6.

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The Times

Carlo Ancelotti consigned to night of misery by Inter Milan's killer instinct

Inter Milan 2 Chelsea 1

There were thoughts that Petr Cech's season could be over, but he could still be sidelined for two months with a calf injury
Matt Hughes, Deputy Football Correspondent, Milan
José Mourinho’s vanity is such that he claimed to have two teams illuminating San Siro last night, although it says much about his ability as a coach that both of them are good enough to win the Champions League.
Inter Milan hold a slender advantage after a policy of strict counterattack was vindicated by Esteban Cambiasso’s spectacular winner, but Chelsea remain very much in the tie as a result of Salomon Kalou’s away goal. The Special One’s return to Stamford Bridge next month should live up to his self-styled nickname.
If Mourinho had supervised more matches such as this during his time at Chelsea, he could still be living in West London. Roman Abramovich, the club’s owner, has always craved entertainment and he received enough last night to make him reconsider his new-found love of art galleries.
Chelsea dominated possession in this round-of-16 first leg and had twice as many shots on target, but they were beaten by a craftier and more clinical side, which should come as little surprise given the identity of their coach.
Inter also enjoyed better luck, most notably when Kalou was denied a clear penalty at the end of the first half, with Chelsea’s misfortune encapsulated by the sorry sight of Petr Cech being carried off on a stretcher with a calf injury that makes him doubtful for the second leg on March 16.
The loss of Cech would be a serious blow that Chelsea simply cannot cover, particularly given that his deputed replacements, Hilário and Ross Turnbull, have spent most of this season like contented tourists shopping on the Kings Road, but there were enough positive signs to suggest they can still progress.
Didier Drogba was a menace throughout, Frank Lampard kept arriving in good positions on the edge of the area without finding the required finish and Michael Ballack produced his Germany form to control midfield. Only Nicolas Anelka disappointed and Carlo Ancelotti, the manager, will have to find a way of getting the enigmatic Frenchman into more central positions if his team are to beat such resilient opponents.
Chelsea will also have to defend better in three weeks’ time, because the pace and intelligent movement of Samuel Eto’o and Diego Milito repeatedly exposed them. With the majestic Wesley Sneijder pulling the strings just behind them, Inter created the most clear-cut chances — if Eto’o had not miskicked in front of goal in the 34th minute, the tie could have been all but over — even though the home side struggled to get hold of the ball.
Beforehand, it seemed as if Florent Malouda would be Chelsea’s biggest point of weakness on his first appearance for the club at left back, but the France winger performed admirably and the visiting team were most vulnerable down their right.
Branislav Ivanovic was caught out of position by Eto’o’s pass in the third minute, with Milito taking advantage to cut inside John Terry and open the scoring. Mourinho raised his upper lip on the bench in an expression of pure pleasure, while Ancelotti’s heavy jowls sagged even lower than usual.
Chelsea’s defence has seemed shaky all season, but some of their attacking play has been scintillating and it was this quality that brought them back into the game.
For long periods, Drogba appeared to be on a one-man mission — he struck the underside of the crossbar with a thunderous free kick and brought a fine save from Júlio César in the space of a few seconds.
Chelsea were the better team for much of the match, but were unable to capitalise on their control. Kalou was characteristically wasteful on several occasions in the first half, but the Ivory Coast forward should have been awarded a penalty on the stroke of half-time.
After beating Walter Samuel for pace to collect Ivanovic’s throw-in, he maintained his composure to get a sight of goal, only to be brought down by a desperate lunge from the Argentina defender. Unlike Milito’s earlier appeal when Ricardo Carvalho stuck out a trailing leg at the other end, there was definitely contact and Chelsea had every right to feel aggrieved.
Kalou’s luck changed six minutes into the second half, when he scored an equaliser that surprised even himself. Ivanovic carried the ball from his own half with the kind of rampaging run more often associated with his opposite number, Maicon, before laying it off with a desperate lunge to Kalou, who hit the ball first time past Júlio César.
Kalou’s joy proved short-lived and Inter were celebrating again four minutes later after a wonderful goal from Cambiasso. Sneijder’s cross from the left was headed clear by Carvalho, but only as far as the Argentina midfield player, who beat Cech at the second attempt after his initial shot was blocked.
Chelsea’s problems worsened six minutes later when Cech limped off after landing awkwardly, a setback that caused the visiting team to lose their way. Lampard brought a good save from Júlio César with a volley in the 65th minute and shot wide in stoppage time, but other than that a second equaliser never looked likely.
Mourinho demonstrated his considerable chutzpah by sending on Mario Balotelli as an additional striker to try to stretch Inter’s advantage, but conceding a third goal would have been cruel on Chelsea. The stage is set for an epic encounter in three weeks, an outcome that Mourinho, with his love of melodrama, may have secretly craved.

Inter Milan (4-1-3-2): Júlio César — Maicon, W Samuel, Lúcio, J Zanetti — E Cambiasso — D Stankovic (sub: S Muntari, 84min), W Sneijder, Thiago Motta (sub: M Balotelli, 58) — S Eto’o (sub: G Pandev, 67), D Milito. Substitutes not used: F Toldo, I Córdoba, R Quaresma, M Mariga. Booked: Thiago, Milito.
Chelsea (4-3-3): P Cech (sub: Hilário, 61) — B Ivanovic, R Carvalho, J Terry, F Malouda — M Ballack, J O Mikel, F Lampard — N Anelka, D Drogba, S Kalou (sub: D Sturridge, 78). Substitutes not used: J Cole, Alex, J Belletti, J Bruma, F Borini. Booked: Kalou.
Referee: M E Mejuto González (Spain).
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Telegraph:

Inter Milan 2 Chelsea 1
By Henry Winter

Chelsea felt the painful heat of an old flame last night. Jose Mourinho masterminded a first-leg victory over his former team last night, although Chelsea returned home hoping that Salomon Kalou’s away goal proves the special one.
Kalou’s deserved strike came between goals from Diego Milito and Esteban Cambiasso in a fabulous game full of sweeping moves. All the talk of a cagey first leg, of caution and congestion reigning, disappeared in a blur of black-and-blue movement on the pitch and plumes of smoke on the terraces.
Even before Milito’s third-minute intervention, San Siro was shaking in its deep foundations, following the fans’ mass pogo in the build-up to a first whistle that only the referee and perhaps a couple of players could possibly have heard. The noise never ebbed.
No wonder. Two good teams went for glory, the pacesetters of Serie A and the Premier League laying on a magical spectacle, staging a sporting opera fit for La Scala of Italian football. A crowd of 78,971 relished this football of the old school, of the schoolyard even: you attack, we attack.
Overlapping left-backs set the buccaneering tone. Florent Malouda, reprising a role he first fulfilled for Lyons against Mourinho’s Porto six years ago, kept storming forward. The peerless, ageless Javier Zanetti, ostensibly in defence for Inter, similarly spent much of the match in his opponents’ back-yard.
No quarter was asked, nor given. Didier Drogba became embroiled in a lengthy scrap with Walter Samuel, one of those rugged Argentine defenders who could get a yellow card practising the Tango. Challenges flew in all over, Thiago Motta cautioned for a foot up on Michael Ballack that was almost a yard up.
Despite losing, Chelsea played well. The stats revealed that. Carlo Ancelotti’s players recorded eight shots on target to three by Mourinho’s.
Chelsea forced three corners to the hosts’ none, even enjoying 56 per cent possession. But Inter had a goalkeeper in Julio Cesar, who was athletic defiance personified. For a man who had just crashed his Lamborghini, the Brazilian performed with commendable sangfroid. He made only one mistake.
The fuse for a classic encounter was lit by Inter, stunning Chelsea with the speed and menace of their first surge. It was a lightning strike in every sense, Mourinho’s men racing down the inside-left channel, the ball flowing from Zanetti to Thiago Motta to Samuel Eto’o. When Wesley Sneijder dummied, the ball continued merrily towards Milito, whose eluding of John Terry was masterful. An Argentinian called Diego artfully dodging an England defender in World Cup year? We’ve been here before.
Shifting weight from left foot to right, Milito expertly sent Terry the wrong way, fashioning a yard of space before finding the gap between Petr Cech and the keeper’s right-hand upright. Only one person with Inter connections failed to celebrate. Mourinho sat motionless in the home dug-out, his face as unyielding as a slab of the local granite. Respect for his former players? Possibly. He also bore the look of somebody who felt he had scripted this.
San Siro dissolved in delight, particularly when the cameras panned onto the vexed features of Ancelotti, formerly of AC Milan. Another past steward of Rossoneri fortunes, Fabio Capello, who had jetted in from Johannesburg, cannot have been impressed by the way Terry was caught out.
Terry rallied his team, Frank Lampard began motoring forward, Malouda was ceaseless in his movement upfield while Nicolas Anelka shuttled busily between midfield and the front. Chelsea refused to be daunted by the scoreline or the setting. Drogba unleashed a thunderous free-kick that almost splintered the Inter crossbar. Julio Cesar clutched a Drogba shot and a Ballack drive.
The game kept sweeping from end to end, Milito soon booked for diving. Back came Chelsea, Drogba volleying wide. Back came Inter. This was mesmerising, Lucio, playing the pass of the night, an off-balance, crossfield ball, found Sneijder in space on the left. Inter’s No 10 drilled in a cross that deserved far better than a fluffed response from Eto.
Sadly, a wonderful half finished in controversy. Kalou was clearly brought down by Samuel but Manuel Mejuto Gonzalez ludicrously waved play on. The Spanish referee who oversaw Ancelotti’s worst moment in management, the 2005 Champions League final defeat to Liverpool, had frustrated him again.
“It looked like a penalty,’’ observed Ray Wilkins, Ancelotti’s assistant, rarely a man given to stoking the fires of controversy. Justice was done six minutes into the second period, Chelsea deservedly equalising.
How fitting that it should be Kalou swooping, having been so cruelly denied by Mejuto Gonzalez.
How appropriate that the goal should be created by a rampaging full-back, reflecting the gung-ho approach of both sides. Branislav Ivanovic charged 50 yards, eventually slipping but managing to slide the ball to Kalou as he fell. The Ivory Coast international, vindicating Ancelotti’s decision to omit the off-key Joe Cole, met the ball first time, driving it past Julio Cesar. For once, the Brazilian faltered, although he saw the deflected shot late.
Inter shrugged off the mishap, showing their resilience and class under Mourinho, reclaiming the lead within four minutes. Sneijder, who has become such a force under Mourinho, made the goal, lifting in a cross from the left. Ricardo Carvalho managed to head the danger clear but only to Cambiasso, whose first shot hit Terry. His second was deadly, the ball speeding past Cech.
Chelsea’s keeper then fell awkwardly catching a cross, departing on a stretcher to the sympathetic, sporting applause of the home tifosi. At the final whistle, Inter fans celebrated as if they had reached the last eight. Chelsea will have other ideas at the Bridge. It’s too close to call.

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Guardian:

José Mourinho's Internazionale leave Chelsea bruised but breathing
Internazionale 2 Milito 3, Cambiasso 55 Chelsea 1 Kalou 51
Kevin McCarra at San Siro

There was too much history between José Mourinho and his old club for this last 16 Champions League tie to be settled in the first leg. Chelsea, often on the attack, would have merited a draw on a night where they endured disadvantages and the exasperating loss of their goalkeeper Petr Cech to a peculiar calf injury in the second half.
He hardly appeared even to land awkwardly after collecting a routine cross. Initial reports of cruciate-ligament damage are categorically denied by the club and it will be a relief if he can return soon. Chelsea will not want to place too many hopes in the little-known hands of Henrique Hilário, though the substitute at least kept a clean sheet in about half an hour of action.
That quiet spell came as a surprise. No one is ever permitted to ignore the former Chelsea manager Mourinho and the incumbent, Carlo Ancelotti, has his own renown, yet the delight came at San Siro in a spectacle that destroyed the illusion that coaches always shape the course of events. There were tactical tweaks aplenty from Mourinho, but talent on the pitch had a greater say.
Indeed, this was the sort of uproarious game that has never been anticipated on any coach's whiteboard. Internazionale moved ahead after three minutes. With Ashley Cole and Yuri Zhirkov both injured, Ancelotti had brooded over the candidates for Chelsea's vacancy at left-back and opted for the winger Florent Malouda, who had experience of the post at Lyon.
Perhaps everyone had been too preoccupied with the topic because Inter erupted on the other flank. The visitors seemed utterly unprepared as Diego Milito cut inside, went across John Terry and scored with a low shot that beat Cech too easily at the near post. Self-disgust over such a lapse seemed to galvanise Chelsea. The attacks were sustained, despite Nicolas Anelka being below par, and no one could pretend that Inter had cunningly contained the danger. A 30-yard free-kick from the outstanding Didier Drogba struck the crossbar at a ferocious velocity after 14 minutes. Yet many in Chelsea's ranks would know how signs of encouragement can prove false around Mourinho.
The Portuguese had the ideas and means to unsettle Chelsea. Terry was troubled by Milito. In addition, Inter have more verve this season after reinvesting the funds raised by the sale of Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Barcelona. It allowed for the purchase of Wesley Sneijder, whose stylishness was sustained during the first half in particular.
Inter's advantage ought to have been doubled in the 34th minute. Walter Samuel swept a fine pass to the left and Sneijder's low ball went towards the far post, where Samuel Eto'o missed his kick embarrassingly before Terry cleared. The home side were not so constantly masterful and Chelsea could have had an invitation to level the score at the end of the first half.
The referee Manuel Mejuto González was indifferent to the appeals when it looked clear that Samuel had felled Salomon Kalou inside the penalty area. Chelsea hardly required additional motivation but the incident intensified the emotions. Given the identity of the Inter manager, drama and for that matter melodrama were to be anticipated.
Mourinho had decried Ancelotti as an establishment figure, so burnishing his self-conferred reputation as a radical. The Portuguese's revolutionary purpose is hard to identify. You could mistake him for a person who craves vast wealth and attention. Picturing himself as an outsider is a self-motivational technique. He may be blocking out the fact that he works for one of the grand institutions of the sport, the sole Italian club to be ever-present in Serie A.
Still, it cannot be too hard to be so embedded in the establishment when a game can still be as enthralling as this. The Inter manager could scarcely claim to have dictated the events that filled the opening phase of the second half. In the 51st minute Chelsea equalised after Mikel John Obi had set Branislav Ivanovic free. The full-back's low ball was taken by Kalou and curled into the net, with the goalkeeper Júlio César seeming a little uneasy.
Inter had regained the lead within four minutes. Sneijder delivered from the left and although Esteban Cambiasso's first shot was blocked by Ivanovic the ball broke back to the midfielder, who finished at the second attempt. Whatever is said about the sophistication of Mourinho and Ancelotti, this was not always a night in which a masterplan was being unfurled.
The players had notions of their own and Lampard was on the verge of a goal after build-up play by Drogba and Anelka, but his drive was saved by César. This taxing match had stimulated Chelsea and paved the way for an engrossing return.

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Mail:

Inter Milan 2 Chelsea 1:

Esteban Cambiasso's rocket is a bit Special as Jose Mourinho trumps rival Carlo Ancelotti

By Matt Lawton Chief Football Correspondent reports from Milan

Jose Mourinho must have felt like a winner last night. He won the popularity contest in front of a partisan crowd as well as the rather more serious business of this Champions League encounter.
He would also have taken enormous encouragement from the sight of Lucio delivering such a commanding performance against Didier Drogba and from the way his forwards exposed frailties in John Terry that are so rarely seen.
And he would have taken pride in just about shading the tactical battle with his bitter adversary on the opposing bench.
Mourinho displayed a deeper understanding of Chelsea than Carlo Ancelotti seemed to possess of an Inter side that, in fairness to the Italian, has undergone a major overhaul since he left the red half of Milan for Stamford Bridge last May.
Had Samuel Eto’o not squandered a wonderful opportunity midway through the opening half, Chelsea could now be in serious trouble.
But Ancelotti will relish the opportunity to get the self-anointed Special One back to his place; relish the chance to remind Mourinho that, for all the success his side enjoyed in this enthralling first leg, Chelsea can use the away goal they scored to their advantage and progress to the last eight.
There remains a psychological battle for the leaders of the Barclays Premier League to win.
They have suffered so much misfortune in this competition they are sure to fret over the potential significance of the penalty they were denied shortly before half-time. It was a clear foul by Walter Samuel on Salomon Kalou, one that could have earned a red card, and Chelsea can only hope it will not be filed away for another season with the ‘ghost’ goals and missed penalties of their painful past.
Instead, they have to remind themselves of the dominance they enjoyed. The 18 shots they unleashed to Inter’s eight. The three corners they earned with no reply. The 56 per cent of possession that pointed to their superior strength in midfield.
Inter were powerful, physical and brilliantly organised by Mourinho. But although Chelsea will renew hostilities at Stamford Bridge next month in a precarious position, it remains one from which they can succeed.
They will curse themselves as much as their luck.
It was Terry who invited Diego Milito to open the scoring and Petr Cech who was then beaten at his near post. There was another degree of hesitation in defence that allowed Esteban Cambiasso to follow his fellow Argentine in scoring less than four minutes after Kalou had levelled.
The fact that Cech then disappeared with what looked like a nasty injury added to Chelsea’s problems.
Mourinho would have enjoyed the reception Ancelotti received. A deafening chorus of boos for the former AC Milan boss echoed around this magnificent sporting cathedral, just as it did when Fabio Capello appeared on the giant screens.
But more satisfying than that would have been the sight of Lucio obeying orders. It took him a mere 43 seconds to leave his mark on Drogba with a crunching challenge that gave a hint of the physical battering to come.
When Mourinho said Drogba would break his legs for Chelsea, he didn’t say he would offer him some help.
A more devastating blow would soon follow, though, a goal after less than three minutes and one, much to the disappointment of Chelsea, that Inter scored with impressive ease.
What started with a surging run from Javier Zanetti continued with two neatly executed passes from Thiago Motta and Eto’o before Milito cut inside a pedestrian Terry and unleashed a right-foot shot that embarrassed Cech.
Aware that 177 minutes of this tie remained, Mourinho remained calm and in his seat. But the momentum as well as the advantage remained with the Italians, and Milito’s South American skills continued to trouble the Chelsea defence.
From Drogba, however, there was always a potential threat, with a 15th minute free-kick that crashed against the angle of right-hand post and crossbar serving notice of his intention to deliver a counter blow.
Drogba almost scored again seconds later, only for Julio Cesar to make the save on the second occasion. He would go close with a volley, too.Chelsea were playing with intelligence. The deployment of Frank Lampard in a slightly more advanced role on the left was certainly keeping Maicon busy and so protecting Florent Malouda, who in the absence of the injured Ashley Cole and Yuri Zhirkov had to play at left back.
Juliano Belletti was clearly not considered ready having trained only twice since returning from a month on the sidelines with a knee problem.
But the best opportunity before the break fell to Eto’o, who really should have scored when a move that started with a wonderful pass from Maicon ended with a cross from Wesley Sneijder that was delivered to the former Barcelona striker’s feet.
It seemed certain Eto’o would score, but he somehow got the ball trapped under his studs and enabled Chelsea to clear the danger.
For all the possession Chelsea were enjoying, this was classic Mourinho. Inter had been well prepared for the challenge Chelsea posed, allowing the Italians to overcome their obvious deficiencies.
That said, the first half still could have ended with Chelsea back on level terms rather than in protest at what Terry and his team-mates considered a gross injustice.
They surrounded Manuel Gonzalez in response to his refusal to award a penalty for what they considered to be a foul by Samuel on Kalou.
Television replays suggested they were right, even if Kalou undermined his case with the theatrical way in which he crashed to the ground.
Chelsea’s sense of injustice was eased six minutes after the break when a darting run by Branislav Ivanovic suddenly presented Kalou with the chance to beat Julio Cesar with a right-foot shot from 20 yards.
But when Chelsea’s failure to close down Cambiasso resulted in a second for Inter, a quite brilliant long-range shot, the advantage was once again with Mourinho’s men.
Whether it is an advantage they can protect, however, remains to be seen. Lampard went desperately close to equalising when he met a ball from Nicolas Anelka with a shot that brought the best out of Julio Cesar and many more such opportunities will come at Stamford Bridge.
But Mourinho is smart and if he organises his side as well as he did on this occasion, Chelsea could yet be reflecting on another opportunity that has been cruelly snatched from their grasp. One wonders how their nerves continue to take it.

MATCH FACTS

INTER MILAN (4-3-1-2): Julio Cesar 7; Maicon 7, Samuel 7, Lucio 6, Zanetti 6; Stankovic 6 (Muntari 84), Cambiasso 8, Thiago Motta 6 (Balotelli 58, 6); Sneijder 7; Eto’o 5 (Pandev 67, 6), Milito 7Booked: Thiago Motta, Milito

CHELSEA (4-3-3): Cech 6 (Hilario 61, 6); Ivanovic 5, Terry 6, Carvalho 6, Malouda 6; Ballack 6, Mikel 6, Lampard 6; Anelka 5, Drogba 7, Kalou 7

Booked: KalouMan of the match: Esteban Cambiasso.
Referee: Manuel Mejuto Gonzalez (Sp).

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Sun:

Inter Milan 2 Chelsea 1

WHAT a match! It didn't start, it exploded into action.

And it never faltered from start to finish.
It was billed the glamour clash of the last 16 and it lived up to the hype.
Even better - there's more of the same to come at Stamford Bridge next month.
Okay, Jose Mourinho's return to Chelsea was always going to be a special event but now it's going to be spectacular.
Esteban Cambiasso may have decided the first leg with a stunning strike but this was just the starter, the warm-up.
It's the return leg in London on March 16 that will be the real deal.
The night when Mourinho dumps his former club out of the Champions League - the competition that Blues' billionaire owner Roman Abramovich wants to win more than any other. Well that's what the Special One will believe.
But his former Chelsea boys and new boss Carlo Ancelotti will have other ideas - equally convinced they will be the ones marching into the quarter finals.
For now, though, it's Mourinho's Internazionale with the narrowest of advantages - but with Chelsea claiming a valuable away goal.
The night belonged to Inter, though, and Mourinho.
The ex-Blues boss certainly had Inter pumped up from the off and the home side charged into a third-minute lead.
Chelsea were still coming to terms with the thunderous noise inside the mighty San Siro stadium when Thiago Motta slid a neat ball into the feet of Samuel Eto'o.
The Cameroon star helped it on to strike partner Diego Milito, who checked back onto his right foot to fire Inter ahead.
Mourinho was as good as his word and refused to celebrate - standing impassive in the dug-out. But his team and fans went wild.
Chelsea were shaken but a 15th-minute block by Dejan Stankovic on Michael Ballack finally gave them an opportunity to respond.
And top scorer Didier Drogba hammered a brilliant free-kick against Julio Cesar's crossbar from fully 25 yards.
It was a key moment that went against the Blues but minutes later it was Inter howling for a penalty when Milito turned Ricardo Carvalho in the box.
The Portuguese unwisely flung out a leg behind him in a bid to prevent the break and that was an opportunity too inviting to resist.
Inter's striker saw the leg and promptly dived to the deck in a shameful attempt to con a penalty out of Spanish referee Manuel Gonzalez. Instead he earned himself a yellow.
But just after the half hour Inter carved the Blues open again.
Eto'o was allowed time and space just 12 yards out only to produce an embarrassing air-shot - to screams and whistles of derision from a dismayed San Siro crowd.
Chelsea responded as Kalou looped a header over and was then denied a blatant penalty when he was clattered from behind by Walter Samuel just before the interval.
But the Blues got back on level terms six minutes after the re-start.
A brilliant break from halfway by Branislav Ivanovic had Inter backing off.
He cut inside but seemed to have let the ball run away from him at the crucial moment.
But Ivanovic lunged to steer the ball back to Kalou, who calmly side-footed a low, curling right foot that Cesar should have done better with.
But Inter stormed back into the lead just four minutes later, Cambiasso the hero with a superb strike.
Wesley Sneijder's cross was headed clear by Carvalho and dropped for the lurking midfielder.
His first effort crashed against John Terry but the rebound flew straight back to Cambiasso, who powered a terrific volley into the far corner. It was a huge blow for Chelsea, compounded by the loss of Petr Cech soon afterwards, carried off with a calf injury.
Still the Londoners strived to wipe out the deficit, though.
Nicolas Anelka's cutback from the left looked ideal for Frank Lampard to convert but the midfielder did not connect cleanly - Chelsea's last chance of the night going begging.
Luckily they have got another chance back at the Bridge in three weeks time - and they will fancy themselves to go through.
Mind you, so will a certain somebody called Mourinho.