Rubin size up another surprise at San Siro

After winning at FC Barcelona on their last away assignment, FC Rubin Kazan will try to make lightning strike twice when they visit another of the UEFA Champions League's big names, FC Internazionale Milano, on Matchday 6.

• The Russian champions slipped to third in Group F following their goalless draw with FC Dynamo Kyiv on Matchday 5, and to be certain of progressing to the first knockout round they must emerge triumphant at San Siro.

• They would also stand a chance of progressing with a 2-2 draw or a higher scoring stalemate. Should the game finish goalless, Inter would qualify on head-to-head record, while a 1-1 draw would take the Italian champions through on goals scored. However, a draw could see both sides eliminated if Dynamo triumph against Barcelona in the group's other game.

• To win the section, Inter must defeat Rubin and hope Barcelona lose at Dynamo; should the holders draw in Ukraine, they would finish above Inter on head-to-head record having beaten José Mourinho's team 2-0 at Camp Nou in their most recent outing.

Previous meeting
• Inter hung on for a 1-1 draw at Rubin's Centralniy stadium on 29 September, surviving for 30 minutes following Mario Balotelli's sending-off after Dejan Stanković (27) had cancelled out Alejandro Domínguez's (11) opening goal.

Match background
• Debutants Rubin are making their first visit to San Siro and may take heart from the fact that Inter are enduring the worst run of home form in their long European history.

• The Milan outfit have won not at home in the UEFA Champions League since defeating Anorthosis Famagusta FC 1-0 on 22 October last year. They have subsequently endured a four-game winless streak and had to come from behind twice to hold Dynamo 2-2 on Matchday 3.

• Inter have scored just four goals in their last seven UEFA Champions League outings at San Siro, during which they have registered one win, four draws and two defeats.

• On the bright side for the hosts, Inter boast a strong home record against Russian opponents, having recorded five wins and a draw in six encounters.

• Inter's most recent home meeting with Russian visitors was a 4-2 victory over PFC CSKA Moskva in the 2007/08 UEFA Champions League group stage, Zlatan Ibrahimović and Esteban Cambiasso scoring twice each.

• Rubin's only previous trip to Italy brought a 1-0 defeat by Parma FC in the 2006/07 UEFA Cup first round. Domínguez and Macbeth Sibaya played in that match, which confirmed a 2-0 aggregate loss, while Lasha Salukvadze and Nukri Revishvili watched from the bench.

Team ties
• At the helm of his previous club, Chelsea FC, Mourinho oversaw home (2-0) and away (1-0) victories against a CSKA side featuring Rubin's Sergei Semak during the 2004/05 group stage.

• Inter's long-serving captain Javier Zanetti was part of the Nerazzurri side that defeated FC Spartak Moskva in the 1997/98 UEFA Cup semi-finals en route to lifting the trophy.

• Inter midfielder Wesley Sneijder faced Semak in the UEFA EURO 2008™ quarter-finals, when Semak's Russia defeated the Netherlands 3-1.

• On a previous trip to Italy, Semak scored twice at Parma in the 2002/03 UEFA Cup first round, but his efforts were in vain as his CSKA side conceded a last-minute goal to lose 3-2 on the night and 4-3 on aggregate.

• Inter's Cambiasso was a team-mate of Rubin forward Domínguez at CA River Plate, the duo having won the Argentinian Clausura championship together in 2001/02.

• Domínguez appeared as a late substitute in FC Zenit St. Petersburg's 1-0 defeat at Juventus in last season's UEFA Champions League group stage. He got the better of Inter defender Lucio, then at FC Bayern München, when playing for Zenit in the 2007/08 UEFA Cup semi-finals.

• Rubin midfielder Sibaya visited San Siro with former club Rosenborg BK, remaining on the bench for their 3-0 defeat in the 2002/03 group stage.