Inter play 'perfect game'

He may have expected a busier night but FC Internazionale Milano goalkeeper Júlio César was able to look back on "a perfect game" after the Nerazzurri beat Chelsea FC 1-0 at Stamford Bridge to advance to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

After winning the first leg 2-1 at San Siro, coach José Mourinho showed no fear on his return to London, starting with an attacking trident of Diego Milito, Samuel Eto'o and Goran Pandev supported by Wesley Sneijder. However, Chelsea put the visitors under severe pressure in the latter stages of the first half when only a series of last-gasp tackles by Maicon, Walter Samuel and Lucio kept Júlio César out of the action.

"It was not easy to come here and face a team like Chelsea knowing one goal was enough for them," said the Brazilian international, "but we played a perfect game and the coach did a wonderful job by choosing the best possible tactics to beat them. The most important thing, however, is that we took to the pitch without fear. We played our own game, showing everybody how strong and united our group is, and made several chances to score."

Almost all Inter's openings were created by the vision of Sneijder, including Eto'o's 78th-minute winner as the Cameroon striker converted his third presentable chance of the evening. Inter midfielder Esteban Cambiasso said: "I was always confident we could do it, even if some doubts came when we missed a few chances, especially because a team like Chelsea can always punish you. But our approach to the game and our performance were just great."

Inter have not been champions of Europe since claiming a second successive crown in 1965, and Cambiasso conceded that the players "are used to winning in Italy but now think we can achieve something in Europe as well".

The Argentinian international added: "We're thrilled because we've eliminated a very strong team, a team that had a chance to go all the way. However, we're fully aware there is still much to do. We're only at the quarter-finals. Obviously we're happy with what we've done and the way we did it, but we know we still haven't achieved anything."