Repeat of bernabeu final

The last time Inter Milan and
Bayern Munich met, they
were both 90 minutes away
from the perfect season.
This time they are just
looking for salvation.
The Italian and German
champions will contest the
first leg of their Champions
League last-16 tie on
Wednesday in a repeat of
last year's final.
Inter's 2-0 victory at the
Bernabeu that night gave the
Nerazzurri the treble of
Serie A, Italian Cup and
Champions League while
Bayern were left with the
Bundesliga and German Cup
double.
Nine months on, both teams
are struggling to live up to
such high standards.
Bayern's hopes of retaining
the Bundesliga title look all
but over having dropped 13
points behind leaders
Borussia Dortmund.
"It's pretty much impossible
for Bayern to win the
Bundesliga this season in my
opinion," forward Arjen
Robben told Kicker magazine.
"I'd say that we have more
chance of winning the
Champions League than
scooping the domestic title."
Inter, who fired Jose
Mourinho's replacement
Rafael Benitez in December,
are third in Serie A, five
points behind leaders AC
Milan, although they have
looked much brighter in
attack since ex-AC Milan
boss Leonardo took over.
Inter, who fielded eight South
Americans in their starting
line-up in last May's final, will
be missing Argentine forward
Diego Milito, who is out with a
hamstring strain.
Milito, the scorer of both
goals in the final, is likely to
be replaced by Goran
Pandev, with Samuel Eto'o
the other forward.
Wesley Sneijder and Lucio
missed Saturday's 1-0 Serie
A win over Cagliari with
knocks but are expected to
return for the Bayern game
given its importance, even if
the Dutchman will not be 100
percent fit after a groin
problem.
Cristian Chivu is available
after a domestic ban, and his
greater experience means
he is likely to come in for
Japan's Yuto Nagatomo at
left-back.
'ROBBERY' RELIANCE
Apart from a long-term injury
to forward Ivica Olic, Bayern
are at full strength, with
Franck Ribery and Arjen
Robben both available.
Flamboyant coach Louis van
Gaal, however, refused to
accept that his team are
reliant on the "Robbery" duo,
whose injuries were blamed
for Bayern's poor first half
to the season.
"In my opinion, we are not
dependent on Robben and
Ribery," Van Gaal said after
Saturday's 3-1 win at Mainz
05.
"We have lots of good
players and we need them all
to play well. Footballers also
need a good trainer."
Striker Mario Gomez, the
Bundesliga's top scorer this
season, said on Monday he
was fit despite suffering an
ankle injury against Mainz.
Goalkeeper Thomas Kraft,
who went off at half-time
after a blow to the head,
should line up for his first
Champions League knockout
tie.
Inter Milan: 1-Julio Cesar;
13-Maicon, 15-Andrea
Ranocchia, 6-Lucio, 26-
Cristian Chivu; 4-Javier
Zanetti, 19-Esteban
Cambiasso, 8-Thiago Motta;
10-Wesley Sneijder; 27-
Goran Pandev, 9-Samuel
Eto'o
Bayern Munich: 35-
Thomas Kraft; 21-Philipp
Lahm, 28-Holger Badstuber,
44-Anatoliy Tymoshchuk,
23-Danijel Pranjic; 31-
Bastian Schweinsteiger, 10-
Arjen Robben, 7-Franck
Ribery, 30-Luiz Gustavo; 25-
Thomas Mueller, 33-Mario
Gomez