Inter Milan manager pleased to qualify for Champions League knockout stage
Inter Milan manager Rafael Benitez says he is pleased to move into the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League as the Serie A giants look to defend their European crown.
The former Liverpool boss saw his side earn a 1-0 win over Dutch champions FC Twente at the San Siro on Wednesday 24 November through a goal by Esteban Cambiasso, who fired home a rebound from a Wesley Sneijder free-kick after 55 minutes.
Bu the Italian champions still have work to do if they are to finish at the top of the group. They will play German side Werder Bremen away from home on 7 December and will have to better English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur's result against Twente.
If Inter fail to do so, they will finish in second place due to an inferior head-to-head record against Harry Redknapp's side and may be forced to play the likes of Chelsea, Barcelona, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the next round of the competition.
Nevertheless, Benitez was delighted to pick up the win and hopes he can use the result to kick-start his side's Serie A campaign after falling nine points behind leaders AC Milan.
He told reporters, "It was important that we put on a convincing performance to unload some of the pressure off us. Now, we hope that the team can rediscover themselves. If the players are in trouble, it is clear that the coach is under some pressure.
"In the first-half, we dominated our opponents who were full of running. It was fundamental that our experienced players played well, as it's hard going forward with only young players. I hope that we can now bring this winning form into the league."
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