Inter bring glitz and glamour to Kazan

FC Rubin Kazan coach Kurban Berdyev likened FC Internazionale Milano's visit to "a public holiday" in the Tatarstan capital as the Russian champions await their first UEFA Champions League home game in Group F on Matchday 2. Rubin lost their first match at this level 3-1 against FC Dynamo Kyiv on Matchday 1, and though Inter kicked off with a draw against holders FC Barcelona, they are determined to return to winning ways after losing 1-0 against UC Sampdoria on Saturday.

Kurban Berdyev, Rubin coach
This match is really important for us and the fans; having the Champions League in town is like a public holiday for Kazan. People here have dreamed about it. A few years ago we never thought great clubs would come to Kazan, not even for friendly games. Of course, I'm a bit nervous as it is also a new experience for me. However, I think we are ready to face Inter. I don't think our opponents will underestimate us, especially considering what José Mourinho said about wanting to be safe before their trip to Barcelona.

José Mourinho, Inter coach
We lost against Sampdoria, not against [striker] Antonio Cassano. Their whole team is doing well, not just one player. In any case I think my players did well against Samp, even if we lost. In the coming three matches, against Rubin and Dynamo Kyiv, we want to earn enough points to travel to Barcelona on Matchday 5 in a safe position. I've watched several Rubin games; this is a very well organised team. They use a 4-4-2 system and strikers Aleksandr Bukharov and Alejandro Domínguez link up very well. Rubin are at home, which gives them an advantage, and the weather is not on our side as in Milan it is much warmer than here at this time of year.

Weekend results
25/09/09 Rubin 1-2 FC Amkar Perm
(Domínguez 7; Sikimić 19, Peev 65)
• The defeat by Amkar halted Rubin's eight-match unbeaten streak in the league, while a run of six successive top-flight wins was ended by FC Tom Tomsk on 20 September.
• Domínguez has scored ten goals in his last nine games, all but three coming from the penalty spot.

26/09/09 UC Sampdoria 1-0 Inter
(Pazzini 72)
• Before the Sampdoria loss, Inter had gone six league games unbeaten, last tasting defeat at Cagliari Calcio on 24 May. It also ended the Nerazzurri's run of scoring in each of their last ten Serie A games.

Team news
• Rubin
Out: Petr Bystrov (heatstroke)
Suspended: Macbeth Sibaya
Misses next match if booked: none

• Inter
Out: Marco Materazzi (thigh), Thiago Motta (right thigh), Wesley Sneijder (hip), David Suazo (hamstring)
Suspended: none
Misses next match if booked: none

Background
• Rubin's 1-0 home loss to another Serie A side, Parma FC, in the 2006/07 UEFA Cup first round is their only previous home match in UEFA club competition proper, excluding the UEFA Intertoto Cup.

• Only Sibaya and Domínguez of the present Rubin squad featured in that game against Parma. Lasha Salukvadze and Nukri Revishvili were on the bench.

• Inter have recorded three wins and one defeat in their six previous games on Russian soil.

• With his previous club Chelsea FC, Mourinho oversaw home (2-0) and away (1-0) victories against a PFC CSKA Moskva side featuring Rubin's Sergei Semak in the 2004/05 group stage.

Did you know?
Domínguez and Inter's Esteban Cambiasso were team-mates at CA River Plate, winning the Argentinian Clausura championship together in 2001/02.