Venue: San Siro TIme: 7.45pm On TV: Setanta Ireland, Sky Sports 4

THE CHAMPIONS League is considered the pinnacle of club football but seems to have become a sideshow for troubled Inter Milan and Schalke 04 who meet in the quarter-finals in the San Siro tonight.

The two clubs, who will be playing out a repeat of the 1997 Uefa Cup final which the Germans won 1-0, are both mired in domestic woes that have overshadowed the build-up to a tie defending champions Inter are favourites to win.

Inter, treble winners last season under Jose Mourinho, are still brooding following Saturday’s 3-0 loss to rivals AC Milan which all but ended their hopes of a sixth successive scudetto and exposed coach Leonardo’s technical failings.

Schalke, a modest 11th in the Bundesliga, have progressed to the last eight for only the second time, yet this was almost lost in the confusion surrounding the sacking of coach Felix Magath only a week after they beat Valencia in the last 16. Magath was fired in mid-March with club chairman Clemens Toennies saying there were “very good reasons” but refusing to elaborate.

However, the famously die-hard supporters had become increasingly critical of Magath’s far-reaching powers and controversial transfers while the team’s shaky domestic form did not help either.

Schalke striker Raul, who is hoping to add a fourth Champions League medal to the three he won at Real Madrid, has promised he will see out his contract, which runs until 2012, despite the exit of the man who lured him to Gelsenkirchen.

Coach Ralf Rangnick has returned for a second stint at the club and made his debut on Friday in the Bundesliga match at St Pauli which was halted by crowd violence with Schalke leading 2-0.

Rangnick expects Internazionale to be fired up when his side visit the San Siro but he didn’t shy away from throwing more fuel on the flames.

“After their crushing derby defeat, Inter will be very motivated and will try everything to bounce back,” said Rangnick, who attended the Milan derby at the weekend. “It was an intimidating atmosphere.”

Nevertheless, Rangnick was optimistic as he prepared his squad to face Inter, who knocked out Bayern Munich in the previous round. “We are the only German club still involved in three competitions and we just want to enjoy ourselves,” he said.

“Of course we are outsiders, but we want to do the best we can from this situation and get something out of the game. We want a draw but maybe we can even create an upset.”

Rangnick has selected a 19-man squad, leaving the injured Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Peer Kluge, Mario Gavranovic and the ineligible Anthony Annan behind. Christoph Metzelder is in the squad despite breaking his nose at the weekend.

“Metze has every chance of playing, despite the broken nose,” said Rangnick, who is also considering Kyriakos Papadopoulos for a place in the centre of his defence.

“We need the inexperienced players to use games like this to gain experience. But I think that, for example, the aggression of Kyriakos could help us in such a game. The biggest mistake would be to play there without the necessary aggression.”

The Argentina striker Diego Milito is set to return to Inter’s starting line-up. Out since February 6th with a thigh injury, Milito came on as a second-half substitute against Milan.

“I am physically and mentally well,” Milito said. “I am in good condition. I am delighted to have returned and I’m eager to help the team. It has been a difficult season for me due to injuries but I am ready to transform the anger into positive energy and give my contribution to the team. We are convinced we can progress.”

Leonardo has warned his side to keep a close eye on Schalke striker Raúl. The former Real Madrid captain has scored three goals in eight Champions League appearances this season.

“Raúl is the symbol of Schalke’s good form,” Leonardo said. “He is always a very dangerous player.”

The hosts will be without the injured Walter Samuel and David Suazo, as well as the defender Lucio, who is suspended.

Inter’s Argentine midfielder Javier Zanetti, the only survivor of the 1997 meeting on either side, called on his team-mates to put Saturday’s disappointment behind them.

“It’s not nice to lose that type of game, it’s a disappointment to everyone but we have to look forward,” he said.

Colombian Ivan Cordoba is expected to take Lucio’s place alongside Andrea Ranocchia in the centre of the defence.