Thuram ready to step up as Inter brace for big test

Marcus Thuram will lead Inter Milan's bid to make a second Champions League final in three seasons by beating Barcelona and keeping alive their trophy hopes from a season which promised so much but could yet deliver nothing.

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Inter head into their second-leg showdown at the San Siro level following last week's six-goal thriller which leaves the last-four tie finely balanced and suggested the Italian champions have a chance of getting past the flamboyant La Liga leaders.

France forward Thuram will be the focal point of Inter's attack on Tuesday night, as he was when he made a spectacular return from injury in Catalonia with an early backheeled opener.

Barcelona had to bring on some of their big guns to beat already-relegated Real Valladolid on Saturday while Inter coach Simone Inzaghi managed to rest his entire first XI in a low-key 1-0 win over Verona.

Inzaghi's assistant Massimiliano Farris said that the first leg efforts "squeezed dry" Inter's first choice players, who will have to put in another huge shift to get past Barca.