Away goals allow Valencia to play to their strengths

Valencia's 2-2 draw away to Inter in the Champions League first knock-out round on Wednesday allows the Spaniards to play to their strengths when the Italians visit the Mestalla for the return leg on March 6.

Twice Valencia came from behind to level against the Serie A leaders, who have won 16 consecutive league matches, with David Silva's strike four minutes from time the most valuable.

"The important thing was to come away from this game still alive in the competition, and we have achieved that.

"We can be satisfied with a job well done," said coach Quique Sanchez Flores.

"It's a good result but the tie isn't over yet. Inter are strong whether they are playing at home or away."

The difference for the return leg will be that the onus will be on Inter to go on the offensive.

Valencia's preferred tactics are to sit back behind a well-ordered defence and to play on the break using the pace of their front players.

They showed those tactics to good effect just last Sunday when they beat the visiting European and Spanish champions Barcelona 2-1.

They have lost just once at home in the league this season when the side were in the middle of an injury crisis.

"The tie is still evenly balanced even though away goals count for double. It will be very difficult but the good thing is we don't have to chase the game in the return leg," the scorer of Valencia's first goal, David Villa, told reporters.

Midfielder David Albelda, who will be suspended for the second leg, said: "A goalless draw or a 1-1 draw will put us though but we must go out looking for the win.

"We know what they are capable of. At times they don't look like they are doing much but they are always dangerous because of the players they have up front."

For his part, Inter coach Roberto Mancini has predicted his side will overcome the disappointment of their 2-2 draw at home.

"I'm telling you: we will win in Valencia.

"We've already done it, and we will do it again," Mancini was quoted as saying in La Gazzetta dello Sport yesterday.

Good record

Inter have a good record against the Spanish side, who they knocked out of the 2001-02 UEFA Cup and the 2002-03 Champions League.

The last time Inter visited the Mestalla stadium, in the group stages of the 2004-05 Champions League, they came away 5-1 winners.

Valencia's two away goals, however, raised the spectre of Inter's defeat by Spanish opposition in the quarter-finals of last year's Champions League.

On that occasion, Inter beat Villarreal 2-1 at home only to lose 1-0 away and go out on the away goals rule.

"Really, I'm much more confident today than last year before the (away match against) Villarreal.

"I know my team well, we play to win right from the start and that's what we do best.

"Today maybe we were a little less brilliant than usual, especially in the second half," he said.

"But the result was not a fair reflection of the game. Valencia were hardly ever dangerous during the game.

"We played a fantastic first half. We could have scored three goals. Then they had two shots on goal and went home with a draw.

"They were very good at keeping possession. They are an excellent side. But I repeat: we deserved to win."