England v Italy: Which Superstar Will Make The Difference As Chelsea Take On Inter?

Jose Mourinho's side head for Stamford Bridge with a vital 2-1 advantage after the first leg at the Giuseppe Meazza, an even game that could perhaps have gone either way. Chelsea have a solid record at home — apart from a recent defeat to Manchester City, they have not lost there this season — while Inter suffered defeat at the weekend away to lowly Catania and have been struggling in Serie A in recent times.

Either way, both Mourinho and opposite number Carlo Ancelotti know they will need their best players to perform if they are to progress to the next round of a competition both harbour realistic hopes of winning.

Here is how the Goal.com team believe those players will fare:

Age: 31

Position: Striker

Champions League record: Has been a prominent player in Chelsea's recent runs in the competition, but his sending off in the 2008 final and his rant after defeat to Barcelona last season have left the Ivorian with unfinished business.

Season so far: Prolific from day one for Carlo Ancelotti, has 27 goals in all competitions already and is hoping to pip Wayne Rooney to be the top goalscorer in Europe this season.

In the first leg...: Was kept well occupied by the exemplary Lucio, with Walter Samuel adding his input where needed. Worked hard but struggled to make an impact.

What to expect on Tuesday...: Having scored twice against West Ham United at the weekend, Drogba has had the perfect preparation for the second leg and, with the added incentive of proving no defender can contain him twice, it would be a major surprise if Drogba is not a key presence all game.

Star Rating:

John Terry

Age: 29

Position: Central defender

Champions League record: Three times European defender of the year, but penalty miss in Moscow in 2008 final still haunts him.

Season so far: Started impressively under Ancelotti, but revelations about his private life in January have led to an alarming drop in form over the past month.

In the first leg...: Made a fairly basic mistake for Diego Milito’s early goal, and then struggled to cope with the pace and movement of the Argentine striker and his partner Eto’o for the reminder of the 90 minutes.

What to expect...: Terry’s troubles in recent times have tended to come away from home, whereas at Stamford Bridge he has been close to his usual high standards. Still not fully confident however, he will bully Milito and Eto’o physically but it seems likely his lack of mobility will hand at least one gilt-edged chance for either striker to grab a vital away goal.

Star Rating:

Age: 31

Position: Central midfielder

Champions League record: Never won the competition, something that drives him on, but has helped Chelsea progress to the latter stages on numerous occasions.

Season so far: Struggled to adapt to Ancelotti’s diamond, but since the Italian reverted to a 4-3-3 Lampard has started to prosper and is back on course to score 20 goals from midfield for a fifth season in a row.

In the first leg...: Was still showing the after-effects of a virus that had kept him out of his side's previous game, and consequently he put in a performance that was no more than average.

What to expect...: Lampard’s role has become more rounded in recent months, with an equal emphasis on defence and attack. He will likely be asked to close down the Inter midfield to stop them building attacks, but will look to shoot on sight given the chance and will surely test Julio Cesar at some point in the game.

Star Rating:

INTER MILAN

Diego Milito

Age: 30

Position: Striker

Champions League record: Diego Milito may be 30, but this season marks his first in the Champions League. The striker has not fared badly, scoring twice in five games.

Star Rating:

Samuel Eto’o

Age: 29

Position: Striker

Champions League record: Eto’o’s Champions League record is second to none, having achieved a ratio of a goal every two games with Barcelona, where he was instrumental in their victory against Arsenal in 2006 and also found the net in the final against Manchester United last year.

Season so far:  Since joining Inter in the summer he has struggled to find his true form with 10 goals in 31 games, the last of which came in December – while the Africa Cup of Nations is a discrepancy in this statistic, Eto’o scored just once in Angola for Cameroon as the Indomitable Lions went out in the last eight.

In the first leg...: He disappointed in San Siro against Chelsea, rarely troubling Petr Cech, and missed a gilt-edged chance as he completely mis-kicked a shot from six yards out.

What to expect on Tuesday...: Carlo Ancelotti should not write off the threat of Eto’o, who will look to poach a crucial away goal against third choice keeper Ross Turnbull.

Star Rating:

Wesley Sneijder

Age: 25

Position: Attacking midfielder

Champions League record: Wesley Sneijder has already had eight seasons of Champions League experience with Ajax and Real Madrid, but his late goal against Dynamo Kiev this season was perhaps his most important in Europe’s premier club competition — scoring in the dying minutes to win the game and help Inter progress from a tight group.

Season so far: The Dutchman's goalscoring contributions have extended to Serie A where he has scored key goals against Udinese and Catania as well as a brace of free kicks against Siena.

In the first leg...:  He was not at his best in the first leg of the tie against Chelsea, disappearing from the action for parts of the game, but was involved in some of the Italians’ better chances.

What to expect on Tuesday...: His role will be critical as they look to complete the job, as his link-up play between the midfield and strikers has transformed the Nerazzurri into a more rounded team, and he will need to work hard if Milito and Eto’o are not to be starved of service.

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VERDICT

Home advantage, and their aggregate deficit, should see Chelsea be the more proactive team throughout the game, and Didier Drogba will be expected to make the difference for the Blues as they search for that opening goal that could decide the course of the game.

But Ancelotti's men will have to be wary of the threat from Milito, Eto'o and Sneijder — not to mention Mourinho's tactical ploys — and all eyes will be on John Terry to ensure he doesn't make another mistake that allows one of them in for a goal that could prove the difference.

All in all, this tie looks as evenly poised as they come.