Igor Akinfeev keeps Jose Mourinho waiting in his semi-final bid

A win’s a win: Jose Mourinho was satisfied with the slender lead Inter take to Moscow

11 April 2012

Inter Milan remain on course for a Champions League semi-final showdown with Barcelona or Arsenal after a deserved 1-0 win against CSKA Moscow in the San Siro last night.

Despite dominating the game, the Italian's were frustrated by an inspired goalkeeping performance from Russia No1 Igor Akinfeev and were unable to add to Diego Milito's 65th-minute strike.

Manager Jose Mourinho, who claimed he was unhappy in Italian football on Tuesday, was satisfied with the result but disappointed Inter didn't take advantage of their superiority ahead of Tuesday's second leg on the Luzhniki Stadium's plastic pitch.

The former Chelsea boss said: "If before the game someone had offered me this result I'd have taken it straight away because it's a good result in the Champions League.

"It's a win and we'll go ahead with that. But we played in a way where we should be able to be already thinking about the semi-finals but unfortunately we are not and we have a difficult game in Moscow to come."

Mourinho's midweek comments about his dissatisfaction of working in Italy and his desire to return to England appeared to have no effect on his players and president Massimo Moratti insisted he was not concerned about losing his coach.

Moratti today told Gazzetta dello Sport: "He's been saying that he misses England since the first day. But he has a contract with Inter for two more years and maybe even longer. Everyone makes their own choices, but I'm not scared and I don't fear his nostalgia."

Before their trip to Moscow, Inter must first defend their one-point Serie A lead at home to Bologna this weekend.

Mourinho will be without the suspended Samuel Eto'o, Javier Zanetti, Lucio and Maicon while Wesley Sneijder is a major doubt with an ankle injury.

Despite the loss of such key players, teenage striker Mario Balotelli is unlikely to be brought in from the cold. The Italy Under 21 international did not travel to London for Inter's Champions League clash with Chelsea after clashing with Mourinho and has not played since.