Jose Mourinho and Alex Ferguson face off

The Champions League match between Manchester United and Inter Milan at the San Siro this evening has generated considerable pre-match hot air from Sir Alex Ferguson and the self-styled 'Special One', Jose Mourinho, the two clubs' respective and fiercely competitive managers.

First out of the blocks was Mourinho, whose clashes - and pre-match psych-outs - were a feature of his time managing Chelsea. He suggested that fear will stalk Manchester United because, as winners of the tournament they have more too lose, and, because a number of key players have been ruled out because of injury, they will be forced to play a defensive game.

Mourinho said: "I am not saying they are afraid - I don't like the word, Sir Alex doesn't like the word and United does not like the word - but I am saying they respect us and they know they can lose. They don't come here to face us eye-to-eye and try to win at the San Siro. So they make changes and we don't change."

However, Ferguson brushed aside any attempts to second-guess his tactics. "He said that, did he? We will have to wait and see. Basically we will be similar to what we normally do."

Some feel Mourinho feels cause for optimism. United have won only once in 90 minutes in 12 matches against teams managed by him  - a run that started with defeat over two legs by Porto in the Champions League in 2004. But Ferguson says such statistics mean little to him. "It's not something I like to think about, one victory in 12, but its not as if we lost the other 11 games, is it?" he said.

Meanwhile, Manchester United's scoring ace Cristiano Ronaldo is champing at the bit, saying: "Its time to kill or be killed." Mourinho has been rumoured in the past to have chased the signature of his countryman Ronaldo, but tonight the battle lines have been firmly drawn. ·