RIVALRY CALLS for brutality at times and Alex Ferguson has his opportunity to inflict anguish on Jose Mourinho. It can only be the Portuguese’s feat, with Porto and Chelsea, of suffering a solitary defeat in a dozen meetings with Manchester United that makes Internazionale appear credible challengers in the Champions League tie in San Siro this evening.

Ferguson himself was relaxed enough to be wry about his difficulties with Mourinho’s teams. “I don’t like to think about one victory in 12,” he said. “If the others were all defeats I would worry.”

There have been five draws in the encounters.

Mourinho, for his part, said he expected the visitors to play defensively tonight, especially as United are without the suspended Nemanja Vidic and fellow centre back Jonny Evans is struggling with an ankle knock.

“I don’t believe Manchester will come to the San Siro to win, they will play very defensively,” Mourinho told a news conference yesterday. “I am sure nothing will be decided but everything will come down to the return leg at Old Trafford (on March 11th).

Inter have won the European Cup just twice, in 1964 and 1965, but Mourinho was keen to take the pressure off his players.

“They dont need to be scared, we must always keep our individuality,” he said. “To eliminate Manchester would be nothing special, the important thing is to reach the next round. We have no fear, I think we will be in the final in a few months.”

Despite stumbling through the group stages, Inter are nine points clear in Serie A and Mourinho sees no reason to change his tactics against the in-form Premier League leaders.

“We will not change our way of playing. It will be 4-4-2 with a diamond midfield. (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic and Adriano will be in attack, Mourinho said.

It has to be borne in mind that this meeting was only possible because Inter were runners-up in their group. They lost at home to Panathinaikos and were then beaten at Werder Bremen, so letting the Greek club come top.

Wobbling form in Europe was precisely what caused the downfall of Mourinho’s predecessor.

After three consecutive Serie A titles Roberto Mancini was presented with the manager of the year award, but also given the sack by a less appreciative Inter.

The side was eliminated at this early stage in the past two years, losing 3-0 on aggregate to Liverpool last season.

Mourinho will be highly conscious that he was not recruited merely to add a few more domestic prizes.

The Portuguese indulged in a jibe or two, yet it was hard to imagine United paying much attention.

“They are only strong in defence because their opponents have been poor,” he said.

“There are teams who go to Old Trafford and do not play with much ambition. It then becomes easier for them to control the game.”

The latter claim is well-founded, but Inter, possessors of the worst record of any qualifiers in the last 16, have to prove themselves a different proposition to the sides he mocks in England.

A relaxed Ferguson, by contrast, was in a mood to bombard Mourinho with compliments on his work at Stamford Bridge.

Ferguson conceded that Mourinho had “caught us on the hop” with his two titles for Chelsea. “By the time we got to October we were trying to make up nine points,” he said ruefully of Mourinho’s first season.

These were reminiscences untinged by apprehension. Ferguson is already on record as predicting the Champions League will go to Barcelona or one of the English clubs. No mention of Inter.