Underdogs' threat to Inter supremacy

Their first home game in the 2008/09 UEFA Champions League proved a disappointment for FC Internazionale Milano after the 2-0 away win over Panathinaikos FC on Matchday 1. The 1-1 draw with Werder Bremen put the brakes on the Italian champions' campaign, but they will now aim to gather momentum again as they play host to Anorthosis Famagusta FC who also have four points after two fixtures.

• Goals in each half from Mancini and substitute Adriano – both taking advantage of assists from Zlatan Ibrahimović – got José Mourinho's team off to the best possible start in Group B on 16 September and encouraged talk that the new coach, who lifted the trophy with FC Porto in 2004, could work the same magic at the club who are making their ninth attempt to claim the UEFA Champions League crown.

• Bremen's point at San Siro then introduced a note of caution. The home team led through Maicon's 13th-minute goal, a slightly fortuitous opener after Adriano's attempted pass required several deflections to find its way through to his fellow Brazilian. Claudio Pizarro's equaliser proved frustrating for Mourinho who just over a year ago had signed the Peruvian striker for Chelsea FC.

• The result means that Inter have failed to win either of their last two home games in Europe's premier club tournament. Their progress last season came to a shuddering halt with a 1-0 defeat against Liverpool FC in the first knockout round which left them nursing a 3-0 aggregate defeat. However, over the long haul their home record is impressive, winning 14 of the last 21 UEFA Champions League games they have hosted including qualifying. Four matches have now been drawn and three lost. Last season, Inter won all three home games in their group, scoring nine and conceding just twice.

• Inter have only faced opposition from Cyprus on one previous occasion in an official game. It came in the 1993/94 UEFA Cup second round against Apollon Limassol FC when a 1-0 victory at home was followed by a 3-3 draw in the away leg. The Nerazzurri went on to win the trophy that year – for the second time in four seasons – beating FC Salzburg 2-0 on aggregate.

• Anorthosis, the first Cypriot club to reach the group stage, were anticipating a tough introduction to the competition but a determined rearguard effort helped Temuri Ketsbaia's side to a point on Matchday 1 in a 0-0 draw away to Bremen.

• Two weeks later, Anorthosis celebrated the nation's independence day in style by beating Panathinaikos in Nicosia. A José Sarriegi own goal and a Siniša Dobrašinović header in the first 15 minutes sent them on their way, and although Dimitris Salpingidis reduced arrears from the spot, Iraqi substitute Hawar Taher put the result beyond doubt with 12 minutes remaining.

• Anorthosis can look back on two previous ties with Italian opponents in European competition. However, none of the four meetings proved happy occasions. In the 1992/93 UEFA Cup first round they lost 6-1 away to Juventus – Ketsbaia getting a late consolation goal – and 4-0 at home. Thirteen years later, at the same stage of the competition, they fared a little better, losing the away leg against US Città di Palermo 2-1, then going down 4-0 at home.

• The other game in the group features Panathinaikos playing host to Bremen.