Internazionale vs. Dynamo Kyiv

Jose Mourinho's side couldn't have come into this game in better health. Not only did they notch up their most convincing win of the campaign so far with the 5-0 hammering of Genoa away from home at the weekend, but the coach was able to name an almost full strength side, Diego Milito the only absentee.

For Dynamo, veteran goalkeeper Oleksander Shovkovski failed to recover from a muscle injury and Stanislav Bogush deputises between the posts.

After the first 45 minutes, the few Inter fans that had bothered to turn must have been thinking their teams' Champions League failings had become a curse.

Dynamo dominated from the first whistle, they looked younger, sharper, more technical and more organised.

Artem Milevsky signalled his intent from the start by cleverly winning a corner. Magrao swung in a fast ball right across the six yard box and Yarmolenko somehow managed to miss from two yards out. He needn't have worried.

A minute later, Magrao's hit a limp looking free-kick into a shambolic looking Inter wall and the ball broke to defensive midfielder Taras Mikhalik who spun and hit the ball on the half volley to send it off the inside of the post and past Cesar into the net. 1-0 to Dynamo.

It took Inter a full 15 minutes to wake from their slumber and actually do something other than moaning at the English referee.

With half of the first half gone, Chivu had started to bomb forward, Inter began to keep possession and the armed and dangerous Stankovic had a few shots from long distance. Eto'o too was starting to outpace the Ukrainian defence.

Then, on 34 minutes, a long ball out of defence caught Dynamo napping and the goalkeeper made it easy by coming 30 yards off his line to allow Stankovic to slide the ball home for 1-1.

But ten minutes later, the visitors had the lead again when Lucio headed another violent corner into his own net.

Inter emerged for the second period with David Suazo on in place of the ineffectual Muntari and a volley of abuse ringing in their ears from Jose Mourinho. The Nerazzurri were revitalised and within two minutes a stunning header from Walter Samuel drew them level.

Inter lay seige to the Kiev goal at times but Shevchenko and Milevsky always look dangerous on the break.

On 72 minutes an air clearance from Lucio handed Shevchenko a chance to run at goal but his shot with the outside of his left foot sailed five yards wide.

With five minutes left, the excellent Zanetti burst into the box with the speed of a 25-year-old, pulled the ball back superbly for Suazo but the bit-part striker let himself down.

Then, deep into injury time, Suazo did manage to hit the ball into the back of the net only for the linesman to lift his flag skywards to signal offside.

An Inter win would have been rough on the Ukrainians.