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Special One returns to the Bridge

Author: John Harris
Date: 16/03/2010
Football betting

Jose Mourinho returns to the position he likes best, centre stage, when his current Internazionale team visit his former charges Chelsea on Tuesday evening.

The 47-year-old Portuguese guided his team to a somewhat fortuitous 2-1 victory in the first leg of the last-16 clash in the San Siro last month and has made much of the fact that he never loses at Stamford Bridge in the build-up to the second leg in London.

As Chelsea manager, the Special One presided over a 60-match unbeaten run at Stamford Bridge and won back-to-back Premier League titles.

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However, such bravado does little to paper over the cracks as, in truth, Inter are in poor form going into the match.

They inexplicably lost 3-1 at relegation-threatened Catania in a Serie A clash on Friday and are now only one point clear of an AC Milan team that were outclassed by Manchester United in an embarrassingly one-sided affair last week.

Indeed, since last month's 3-0 win against Cagliari, Mourinho's charges have emerged victorious in just one of their last six league games as their attempt to win a fifth successive Scudetto flounder.

Chelsea's recent form has also been inconsistent as Carlo Ancelotti's emphasis appears to be on the European rather than the domestic front but they remain sportsbook favourites to reach the last eight of European football's premier competition once again.

Despite beating West Ham United 4-1 on Saturday, the Blues were below-par for long periods but at least they hit back with a three-point haul after losing 4-2 at home to Manchester City in their last Premier League encounter.

However, they have lost five league games already and showed in losses to Wigan Athletic, Aston Villa and Everton as well as being beaten twice by the Eastlands-based outfit that they are far from invincible.

Despite trailing by a goal after the first leg, the omens favour Ancelotti's side as Inter have lost at this stage of the competition in the last three seasons and have been knocked out by English clubs - Liverpool and Manchester United - in the last two campaigns.

Inter have failed to win any of their last nine Champions League knock-out games away from home while Chelsea have scored in each of their last 12 European games at Stamford Bridge.

Petr Cech's thigh injury and Hilario's poor form means Ross Turnbull could start in goal, as he did in Saturday's win against the Hammers while Ashley Cole (ankle), Michael Essien (knee ligaments) and Jose Bosingwa (knee) all miss out.

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