Inter president thirsty for revenge

Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti has warned Barcelona the Nerazzurri will be out for revenge in the Champions League semi-finals.

Jose Mourinho's side secured a last-four date with Pep Guardiola's defending champions on Tuesday night by winning 1-0 at CSKA Moscow to complete a 2-0 aggregate quarter-final win over the Russian club.

The two-legged semi-final - the first meeting at the San Siro on April 20 and the second at the Nou Camp eight days later - will give Inter the chance to avenge their 2-0 group-stage defeat in Catalonia last November.

And Moratti cannot wait to see his side put their five-match winning run in the Champions League to the test.

"The semi-final will be difficult, but very fascinating," Moratti told Gazzetta dello Sport.

"I think each of our players will be motivated by their desire for revenge.

"Inter now has a different strength than in the qualifying round. And every one of the players will be alert."

Mourinho has promised Barcelona they can expect a "completely different" performance from his side when the teams go head to head with a place in the showpiece final at the Bernabeu at stake.

The teams played home and away in the group phase, with a 0-0 draw at the San Siro followed by a 2-0 home win at the Nou Camp.

Mourinho said he would "love to repeat" the goalless stalemate in Italy and deny Barca an away goal, and warned they could expect a different Inter to turn up for the tie.

"Rest assured, this time we'll play another game - completely different," said the Portuguese.

"They will have the advantage of playing the return at the Nou Camp, but we will know how to treat the two matches."

Inter's quarter-final win ensured Mourinho achieved something his predecessor did not - Roberto Mancini's best run in the competition went as far only as the last eight.

He added on Sky Sport Italia: "It's five consecutive victories in the Champions League now; we are deservedly and comfortably through to the semi-finals.

"We can talk of a total change in Inter's history in the Champions League. This is a mentally different team with confidence and ability.

"This victory shows Inter has entered a new dimension - it's a Champions League Inter now.

"Whatever happens in the semi-final or the final, Inter will be full of confidence going into next season's Champions League.

"If we don't win it this year, Inter will win it in the next few years."

Brazil right-back Maicon felt the side's progression to the semi-finals proved a point to their critics.

"It's a great joy, an important step for us in Europe," he said on the Inter Channel.

"Everyone said that Inter do well in Italy and badly in Europe, so we have showed something. They can't say it any more.

"It was good to score an early goal, even if we missed chances after. It was a difficult pitch and we suffered, but we deserve to be through."

CSKA coach Leonid Slutsky was left to contemplate what might have been after Wesley Sneijder's sixth-minute goal and an early injury to Vasili Berezutski - which forced the defender off after only 13 minutes - gave his side a mountain to climb.

Berezutski's replacement, Chidi Odiah, was then sent off four minutes into the second half.

"We had the objective of winning, but conceding a goal so early and the accident of Berezutski made our task a much more difficult one," said Slutsky.

"That said, I think we played well over the two matches against Inter. My players did everything they could."