Cúper faces Mestalla return

'A real spectacle'
Cúper took Valencia to the 2000 and 2001 finals, where they lost out to Real Madrid CF and FC Bayern München, and his return to the Mestalla for the second leg promises to be a special occasion for the Argentinian. The first leg is in Milan on 9 April, with the return on 22 April in Valencia. Valencia director Francisco Real Alacreu told uefa.com: "We like him [Cúper] a lot so I am sure Inter versus Valencia at our ground will be a real spectacle."

Facchetti reaction
Giacinto Facchetti, Inter's vice-president, said: "It will be a special fixture for Héctor Cúper, but not the first time he has faced Valencia because Inter played them in the UEFA Cup last season and beat them. Now we want to continue that tradition." Inter overcame Valencia 2-1 on aggregate in last year's UEFA Cup quarter-finals, Nicola Ventola scoring the only goal of the second leg in Spain.

'Extra motivation'
Valencia's captain, David Albelda, admitted there would be "extra motivation from the fact we know each other". "This match is another story although on an individual level you could take it as a revenge mission," he said.

Italian renaissance
Inter are one of three Italian teams in the last eight, along with Juventus FC and AC Milan, and would face their neighbours in the semi-finals if both win through. Facchetti added: "Italian sides have been conspicuous by the absence from the semi-finals and finals [of European competition] in recent years, while Spanish teams have continued to make great strides. Now though we're getting back to where we deserve to be, because Italian sides are without doubt among the best in Europe.”

Aimar threat
Inter captain Javier Zanetti expects "two difficult games" and identified Pablo Aimar as a real threat. "They are a strong unit," he told Inter's website. "All their players offer a scoring threat. And with my fellow countryman Aimar, they have a great player, a player who can make the difference."

Final the aim
For Valencia, the aim is to go one better than they did under Cúper by reaching the final and then winning it. Rafael Benítez, who replaced the Argentinian as coach after the Bayern defeat in 2001, said: "We have a special interest in winning this trophy, obviously, and I expect us to achieve that." Benítez believes home advantage in the second leg will help, citing Wednesday’s vital victory over Arsenal FC as an example. "The stadium factor is essential as was shown against Arsenal."