Inter bar CSKA path into history books

PFC CSKA Moskva are bidding to become the first Russian team in two decades to reach the semi-finals of Europe's elite club competition but they may not find it easy against FC Internazionale Milano.

• Leonid Slutsky's hosts may have home advantage for this quarter-final second-leg tie but Inter are unlikely to be daunted by a trip to Russia, where they have lost only once on seven previous visits.

• The Italian side will be further buoyed by the narrow but precious advantage given to them by Diego Milito's 65th-minute strike in Milan on Matchday 9.

Previous meetings
• Inter came out on top when these teams met in the 2007/08 UEFA Champions League group stage.

• The Serie A side won 2-1 when they visited CSKA on 23 October 2007, overturning the first-half lead given their hosts by Jô through strikes from Hernán Crespo and Walter Samuel after the break.

• The full lineups for that previous Moscow meeting were:
CSKA: Mandrykin, V Berezutski, Ignashevich, A Berezutski (Grigoriev 45), Aldonin, Rahimić, Krasić, Dudu (Eduardo 42, Janczyk 76), Zhirkov, Jô, Carvalho.
Inter: Júlio César, Zanetti, Córdoba, Samuel, Maxwell, Vieira (Stanković 17), Dacourt (Solari 77), Cambiasso, Figo, Ibrahimović, Crespo (Cruz 62).

• Inter produced an even more spectacular comeback in the return game in Milan where they trailed 2-0 to goals from Jô and Vagner Love only to hit back through double strikes from both Esteban Cambiasso and Zlatan Ibrahimović.

Match background
• UEFA Cup winners in 2005, CSKA have never travelled this far in the UEFA Champions League before. If they overcome Inter they will become the first Russian side since FC Spartak Moskva in 1991 to advance to the last four.

• CSKA have conceded the first goal in three of their four home games in the UEFA Champions League but have lost only once – against Manchester United FC in October. They subsequently battled back to beat VfL Wolfsburg in the group stage and then draw with their round of 16 victims Sevilla FC.

• CSKA's only win in four attempts at home to Italian opponents came in the 2004/05 UEFA Cup semi-final when they defeated Parma FC 3-0 to secure an identical aggregate success. Daniel Carvalho (2) and Vasili Berezutski scored for a CSKA side who went on to lift their first European trophy in the final against Sporting Clube de Portugal.

• European champions twice in the 1960s, Inter are seeking their first semi-final appearance since 2002/03 when they lost to neighbours AC Milan. The Nerazzurri have since fallen twice at the quarter-final stage, in 2004/05 and 2005/06.

• Inter coach José Mourinho has a 100% record in UEFA Champions League quarter-finals having won at this stage with FC Porto (2004) and Chelsea FC (2005, 2007).

• Inter have already visited Russia once this season, Dejan Stanković's equaliser earning them a 1-1 draw at FC Rubin Kazan in the group stage in September. The Italian champions pipped Rubin to second place in the section with a 2-0 home victory on Matchday 6.

• Javier Zanetti was in the Inter team that defeated Spartak 2-1 both home and away in the 1997/98 UEFA Cup semi-finals en route to their most recent European honour.

• Inter produced an eye-catching display on their most recent European away assignment, defeating Mourinho's old club Chelsea FC 1-0 at Stamford Bridge to secure a 3-1 aggregate success.

Team ties
• As Chelsea manager Mourinho oversaw home (2-0) and away (1-0) victories against a CSKA side then coached by Valeri Gazzaev in the 2004/05 UEFA Champions League group stage.

• Miloš Krasić is a colleague of Stanković in the Serbia national team.

• In the qualifying competition for UEFA EURO 2008, Vasili Berezutski hit the opening goal for Russia in a 3-0 Moscow win against an FYR Macedonia side including Goran Pandev.

• Wesley Sneijder was on the losing side against Igor Akinfeev and Sergei Ignashevich when Russia beat the Netherlands 3-1 in the UEFA EURO 2008 quarter-finals.

• Mark González played in Liverpool FC's 2006/07 UEFA Champions League quarter-final defeat of PSV Eindhoven but was subsequently an unused substitute for the semi-final victory against Mourinho's Chelsea.

• Maicon and Guilherme both made their names at Cruzeiro EC in their native Brazil. Guilherme was still in the club's youth ranks when Maicon departed for AS Monaco FC in 2004.

• CSKA's record in penalty shoot-outs in UEFA club competitions is:
6-7 v Ferencvárosi TC, 1994/95 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup first round

• Inter's record is:
1-4 v FC Schalke 04, 1996/97 UEFA Cup final
5-3 v Grazer AK, 1996/97 UEFA Cup second round
3-4 v Aston Villa FC, 1994/95 UEFA Cup first round
5-4 v Celtic FC, 1971/72 European Champion Clubs' Cup semi-final

• The victorious team will take on the winners of the contest between Arsenal FC and FC Barcelona in the semi-finals.