Inter's defeat to Roma at the weekend has sparked worries that the Serie A leaders are suffering from fatigue ahead of today's Champions League quarter-final, first leg at home to CSKA Moscow.
While the rest of Italy's teams crashed out of Europe one after another, Inter remain their country's only flagbearers on the continent and they are also still in the Italian Cup, facing a semi-final, second leg next month.
But while they are still on course for a remarkable treble, their league form has disintegrated over the last month and a half.
Although they beat Chelsea twice in the last round of the Champions League, at home they have been in crisis.
Two wins in nine matches has seen their once 14-point lead over second-placed Roma reduced to a single point.
But top scorer Diego Milito, who netted on Saturday but was denied an injury time equaliser by the post, claims tiredness will not stop his team.
"Are we tired? It's not easy playing in three competitions, you use up a lot of energy but we're going to keep going and try to do our best," he said.
"All these commitments are in themselves a motivation, not a problem. Our desire to win is stronger than our fatigue."
And that desire to win might just be stronger in Europe than at home as Inter bid to end a dire recent record on the continent and reach their first Champions League semi-final since 2003, when they lost to neighbours Milan, who went on to beat Juventus in the final.
Coach Jose Mourinho was brought to the club as a replacement for Roberto Mancini, despite the Italian leading the team to three straight Serie A titles, in order to bring European success to the club.
He had an impressive record in the Champions League, winning it with Porto in 2004 and reaching two semi-finals with Chelsea.
He was excused last season's second round exit at the hands of Manchester United but the feeling is that a last four appearance is the very least expected of Mourinho this term.
If Inter are feeling jaded, CSKA's conditioning will be at the opposite end of the spectrum as they are only three games into their new domestic season.
But 2005 UEFA Cup winners CSKA are not the force they once were in Russia, having failed to win the title since 2006 and finishing only fifth last season, missing out on European qualification altogether.
It means their hopes of becoming the first Russian team to reach the last four of Europe's premier club competition since neighbours Spartak in 1991 are looking thin.
But they have had some encouraging results on their travels this season, drawing 3-3 at Old Trafford against Manchester United and winning at both Besiktas and Sevilla.
Whatever the result today the teams will have little time to dwell on it as the second leg takes place just six days later.