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Inter captain Javier Zanetti said he “cannot understand” how the reigning European champions twice gave up leads in a 5-2 home defeat to Schalke.

Dejan Stankovic had given Inter the lead inside the first 30 seconds with a long-range volley and, while Joel Matip levelled, Diego Milito then restored Inter’s advantage from close range.

However, Inter’s gameplan unravelled when Edu made it 2-2 just before the break and in the second half Raul stabbed home from close range to make it 3-2.

Andrea Ranocchia’s own goal extended the visitors’ advantage before Cristian Chivu was sent off. Edu then scored again with a shot from outside the box to leave Inter needing to score at least four goals in Germany to progress.

“I cannot understand what happened,” Zanetti told Mediaset Premium. “I can’t even explain it to myself, let alone to you.

“We had a good start, then there was a black-out. Now we have to stay calm, look ahead and begin again by thinking positive. We’ve got to keep going, think of Serie A and then we’ll go to Germany to give it all we’ve got.”

Raul, meanwhile, was delighted with the way Schalke performed on the night.

“We played a fantastic game, just the perfect performance,” he said. “It’s not often you see five goals scored away from home in Europe, especially on the turf of the reigning champions, but there are another 90 minutes to go.

“The difference was above all in the second half, when we were superior and brought home the win. We’ll have to be very careful in the second leg, as eliminating Inter will not be easy.”

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Nemanja Vidic is not taking solace in the fact Chelsea’s strikeforce is failing to fire, admitting instead that the Blues have a mental edge over Manchester United ahead of their Champions League showdown.

United visit Stamford Bridge in their quarter-final first leg on Wednesday having not won at the venue for nine years, a record Vidic concedes will give Chelsea that little bit of extra belief before kick-off. In their most recent visit five weeks ago, United lost their Premier League encounter with Vidic sent off late.

But United always have the return leg to forward to and Vidic says a crucial away goal is the desired prize on Wednesday, meaning the hunt for that elusive victory is not a major concern this time around.

“In terms of the results, yes, they do have an edge because they had good ones against us,” Vidic said. “But this is the Champions League and the name of the game for is on Wednesday is to score an away goal.”

Chelsea have returned to form over the past two months after a mid-season slump but although that revival coincided with the signing of Fernando Torres from Liverpool, they have hardly been boosted by a glut of goals from their star-studded forward line. Didier Drogba helped alieviate the barren spell with a goal at Stoke in the Premier League on Saturday but Torres is yet to score since his arrival for £50million.

While Vidic’s previous weakness against Torres used to define the build up to their meetings, it is now Torres’ chase for his first Chelsea goal. But Vidic is refusing to take any encouragement from the lack of form shown by those he will be marking on Wednesday.

“It doesn’t give us any confidence,” he said. “Chelsea have good strikers, and we have a lot of respect for them. Just because they haven’t been scoring goals, they will still be doing their best. And in a cup tie, what matters is who wins, not who gets the goals.”

One factor in United’s advantage is the boost of their 4-2 come-from-behind win at West Ham on Saturday, a result that came immediately before Chelsea’s disappointing draw at Stoke.

“Our performance on Saturday is a big positive for us,” Vidic said. “We scored four goals and played very good football. We do need to improve the defending part but if we can play like that against Chelsea, I am sure we will be okay.”

Vidic could have been going into the Chelsea game on the back of a red card following his clumsy challenge on Demba Ba at the weekend, which turned out to be the pivotal moment of the contest. Already two goals down, if the defender had gone off, it is hard to envisage United being able to turn the match around in the manner that they did.

Instead, referee Lee Mason took a lenient view, believing the ball was running through to goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak, therefore Vidic was not denying the Hammers forward a goalscoring opportunity.

“When I saw he gave the foul to West Ham, I was worried he would maybe give me a card, but I didn’t know which one it would be,” said Vidic. “Sometimes referees are right, on other occasions they are wrong. I try not to let it disturb me either way.”

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Carlo Ancelotti has again leapt to the defence of his £50 million striker Fernando Torres as he ponders how best to beat Manchester United in their Champions League clash on Wednesday.

Ancelotti would not be drawn on whether Torres, Didier Drogba, or both, would start against the Premier League leaders at Stamford Bridge but he claimed that no-one inside the club has criticised the Spaniard.

If body language is anything to go by, Torres looks likely to be recalled, with Ancelotti spending the opening few minutes of training on Tuesday morning engaged in discussion and friendly banter with the misfiring Spaniard, even pretending to throttle and punch him.

Explaining the exchange, Ancelotti said: “I would like to maintain a good atmosphere on the pitch, in training. My players know very well when they have to be serious on the pitch and when it can be fun.”

Ancelotti continued to back Torres, who has now gone ten matches for club and country without scoring and nine since his move to Stamford Bridge. “Criticism is not in Chelsea. It’s outside Chelsea,” he said.

“We have seen Torres play well for the team. He didn’t score, obviously. He’s not happy for this reason, but he played well for the team. I hope he plays the same tomorrow – for the team.”

Ancelotti denied Torres’ price tag put pressure on him to start the Spaniard, saying: “I already decided and I never had the pressure to choose the line-up.”

The Italian is under pressure, however, to deliver the Champions League, with Ancelotti brought in by billionaire owner Roman Abramovich with that goal in mind. Having won it twice while AC Milan manager, Ancelotti knows what Chelsea need in order to end their long wait.

“They have experience, they have ability, to do everything to try to win the Champions League,” he said. “They’ve come so close to winning it. Unfortunately, some little details were not good. I hope this season we can have better luck, but we have to deserve the luck. In the end, if you deserve to win, you will win.”

Midfielder Frank Lampard insists Chelsea don’t feel any extra pressure to deliver the Champions League from Abramovich.

Lampard said: “I think we’ve given him some very good times, and I know the owner has appreciated it from how he’s enjoyed them with us when we’ve won titles and cups, but the Champions League’s a huge thing.

“I’m sure the owner would be very pleased for us to win it but, at the same time, he doesn’t come in every day and knock our door down, saying, ‘Why have I not won this yet?’ He understands it’s the most difficult competition in football.”

Lampard also insisted Chelsea are not thinking about revenge for their 2008 Champions League defeat by Manchester United in Russia.

“I really promise you, revenge certainly isn’t in our minds,” he said. “When you play for a long period of time, as I have here, you see the ups and downs. You collect them. You don’t any feel thoughts of revenge or anything against anyone. You understand you can’t always be successful and win.”

Lampard has certainly learnt that the hard way, having also suffered four semi-final defeats in the past seven years. “There have been a few painful ones, with England as well,” he said. “They’re obviously horrible feelings.”

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Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has admitted a charge of using offensive, insulting and/or abusive language after swearing into a camera at West Ham but he will contest the two-match ban handed down by the Football Association.

Rooney swore at a Sky Sports camera during Manchester United’s 4-2 victory at West Ham on Saturday after he had completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot.

His appeal against the automatic two-match ban suspension will be heard on Wednesday, before Manchester United play Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

A statement on the FA’s website read: “Manchester United player Wayne Rooney has today admitted a charge for the use of offensive, insulting and/or abusive language.

“However, Rooney has submitted a claim that the automatic penalty of two games is clearly excessive. A commission will hear the submission on Wednesday.”

If Rooney’s claim fails he runs the risk of having a suspension that currently includes Saturday’s Premier League encounter with Fulham and the following week’s FA Cup semi-final with Manchester City at Wembley extended.

At his press conference ahead of the Chelsea clash, Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson made it clear he did not want to discuss the matter.

“I have nothing to say. I am not going to discuss it at all,” he said. “We have submitted our case.”

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Holders’ hopes hanging by a thread

A match which began with Inter Milan scoring one of the great Champions League goals ended with their Champions League ambitions all but dead as Schalke twice came from behind in the San Siro to claim a commanding advantage in their quarter-final.

Dejan Stankovic needed just 25 seconds to volley his side into the lead with a stunning hit from the centre circle, but Joel Matip levelled, just as Edu did before half-time after Diego Milito restored Inter’s lead.

It was all downhill for the Italian champions after the break as Raul netted for Schalke, Andrea Ranocchia scored an own goal and Cristian Chivu picked up his second red card in four days, before Edu notched again to round off a miserable night.

It all looked so promising for Inter, who were coming off a 3-0 defeat against derby rivals AC Milan, as they immediately took the lead in stunning fashion.

Manuel Neuer advanced out of his area under pressure from Milito and headed clear.

He got good distance but the ball went straight to Stankovic in the centre circle, who showed great technique and power to volley first time over the defence, over Neuer and over the line.

Raul had two good chances to equalise inside the next five minutes, heading first wide and then straight at Julio Cesar.

At the other end, Milito did well down the left beat two defenders and get a cross in, but Wesley Sneijder could not keep his header down.

But Schalke were level in the 17th minute.

Kyriakos Papadopoulos was left completely unmarked at the far post from Jefferson Farfan’s corner and, though his header was straight at Cesar, the ball broke to Matip, who hammered home.

Inter appealed for a penalty when Milito went down under pressure from Atsuto Uchida when through on goal, but referee Martin Atkinson decided there was no foul.

Manuel Jurado then shot straight at Cesar, before at the other end Eto’o had a goal chalked off for offside to bring a hectic opening 20 minutes to a close.

Stankovic’s eventful evening – he was also booked – came to a premature end when he succumbed to injury after 24 minutes and was replaced by Houssine Kharja.

But Inter did not let the change knock them out of their stride and they were ahead nine minutes later.

A neat move involving Milito and Javier Zanetti saw Sneijder cross to Esteban Cambiasso at the far post.

Cambiasso headed back across goal to Milito, who, having stayed just onside, had a simple task to finish from close range.

They could not hang onto their lead until half-time, though, as Edu drew Schalke level, following up to finish from a narrow angle after Cesar had done well to save his initial deflected shot.

Inter should have had a goal a minute into the second half as well, as Sneijder picked out Milito, who controlled well but sent a left-footed shot inches wide of the left post.

Two minutes later, Sneijder played in Eto’o, who turned Benedikt Howedes before seeing his shot brilliantly saved by Neuer.

But it was Schalke who took the lead in the 53rd minute as Raul claimed his 70th Champions League goal, finishing low past Cesar after good work by Farfan.

And it got worse for Inter four minutes later when Ranocchia slid in under no pressure and diverted Jurado’s low cross into his own net.

Eto’o had a glorious chance to pull one back moments later but he dragged a left-foot shot wide from 10 yards.

Chivu was shown a second yellow, having also been sent off in the Milan derby, for a challenge on Edu in the 62nd minute which the Brazilian made the most of. They almost paid the price three minutes later when Jurado crashed a shot against the post.

Farfan’s 75th-minute shot was saved by Cesar and his follow-up effort turned against the post by Ranocchia, but moments later the ball broke to Edu, who turned Ranocchia and curled the ball past the despairing goalkeeper.

A shellshocked Inter rarely threatened thereafter and they will have a mountain to climb in Gelsenkirchen next week.

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