Inter, who are three points clear at the top of Serie A, will qualify for the last 16 if they win on Wednesday.

After facing Sporting they have a head-to-head clash with their closest domestic challengers, second-placed Palermo, but it is the European challenge which most excites Morati.

"This is the one that really counts. In this week with two important games, Wednesday's one is certainly the most important and I hope the team is focused and realises this," Moratti told the club's Web site www.inter.it.

Inter have not won the European Cup since 1965 and having ended their long search for a domestic league title last season they are firmly focused on the continent's top prize.

Perhaps with Wednesday's game on their minds, Inter struggled to a 1-0 win over Reggina at the San Siro on Sunday and some parts of the media were critical of a sluggish display.

But Moratti has taken heart from the fact that Inter managed to win while playing below par.

"We can easily deal with this kind of attitude. We need criticism to improve. The team is solid but must continue to show it," he said.

"The project with (coach Roberto) Mancini is working and I think the results are proving us right. But we are at the start of a long road."

Mancini will be without Argentine striker Julio Ricardo Cruz against Sporting after he picked up a knee injury on Sunday. But the Inter coach has Brazilian Adriano close to full fitness again. He will compete with Argentine Hernan Crespo and Swede Zlatan Ibrahimovic for a starting place.

For Sporting, Portugal goalkeeper Ricardo is ready for action in Italy after sitting out Sunday's league match as a precaution.

Substitute teenager Rui Patricio saved a penalty at his Sporting debut to secure a 1-0 win over Maritimo that kept the Lisbon club two points behind leaders Porto after 10 matches in the Portuguese Premier League on Sunday.

Suspended Brazilian striker Liedson will be substituted by Yannick for Wednesday's match.

"We are going through a good moment, we head into the Inter Milan game confident and ambitious," coach Paulo Bento told reporters.

"We know we will face a great team that has enormous ambitions in this competition but in football there is nothing that can't be done.", Bento said.
Teams
Inter Milan - 12-Julio Cesar; 4-Javier Zanetti, 2-Ivan Cordoba, 25-Walter Samuel, 11-Fabio Grosso; 7-Luis Figo, 14-Patrick Vieira 5-Dejan Stankovic, 21-Santiago Solari; 8-Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 18-Hernan Crespo.
Sporting Lisbon - 1- Ricardo, 12-Marco Caneira, 13-Tonel, 4-Polga, 11-Rodrigo Tello, 27-Custodio, 10-Carlos Martins, 28-Joao Moutinho, 18-Nani, 19-Alecsandro, 20-Yannick.