Inter’s Javier Zanetti: We believe we can win the Champions League

Inter captain Javier Zanetti says that he and his team-mates believe they can win the Champions League this season but admits that they will have a better outlook of the competition in February. Zanetti was speaking following the Italian giants’ 2-1 victory over Lille in their Group B clash in Milan on Wednesday that saw them increase their tally to nine points from four matches. The Nerazzurri have endured a tough start to the 2011-12 campaign, their 2-1 home loss to Juventus at the weekend consigning them to just a place above the relegation zone in Serie A after nine rounds of matches. However, Zanetti refuses to let go of the belief that they can reclaim the Champions League trophy from Barcelona this season but concedes that it is not going to be easy. "All the big sides are doing well,” the defender told Inter Channel on Wednesday. “It will be a very well balanced competition. “Do we believe we can do it? You have to believe you can, and look to improve every day.
“But the Champions League is such a strange competition that you have to see how each team is set come February, when it's make or break." Reflecting on their victory over Lille at San Siro, Zanetti underlined the impact of striker and compatriot Diego Milito, who scored the eventual winner despite missing a number of chances against the French champions. “It went well for us tonight and I'm especially happy for Diego - he needed that goal,” explained the 38-year-old. “He's like a brother to me and setting up his goal was like scoring myself. "Strikers get periods like this, periods when you do everything right and others when you can't do anything properly. “But Diego is working so hard for the team, he makes sacrifices and he deserved this goal.” In the other Group B fixture on Wednesday, Trabzonspor and CSKA Moscow played out a goalless draw in Turkey.