Inter's Jose Mourinho believes his team deserve a tough draw in the first knockout round of the Champions League.The Nerazzurri progressed to the last 16 second in Group B, behind winners Panathinaikos, after falling to a 2-1 defeat at Werder Bremen yesterday.
"We deserve to find already in February a great opponent like Barcelona, defending champions Manchester United or Liverpool," said a furious Mourinho.
"We progressed as second but with all respect, there will be a team that has finished second in another group that will meet Panathinaikos just like there will be a team that won their group and will face a strong Inter."
Inter's defeat yesterday marked their third game without a win in Europe's elite club competition after a 3-3 draw with Anorthosis and a 1-0 defeat by Panathinaikos.
Despite just two wins collected in six group games, Mourinho, whose side lead the Serie A standings with a six-point advantage, believes the true Inter will emerge in the new year.
"I am certain that by the end of February we will see the real Inter," he said."It's true that we lost two consecutive games in the competition but against Werder we had to do without several injured players."
Mourinho denied his team took Werder Bremen too lightly.
"We did not underestimate them," he said."But we did underestimate Anorthosis in our 3-3 draw.
"Werder played a great game and without (injured midfielder) Dejan Stankovic, we lose force and intensity in the midfield line."
Inter will find out their next European opponents on December 19.
by http://www.espnstar.com/football/champions-league/news
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