Rafa Benitez admired Inter's character and maintains “this side played very well at the start of the season, then the injuries came.”
There were reports the Coach would be sacked if he failed to get three points this evening, but the 1-0 victory over FC Twente secures their passage to the knockout rounds of the Champions League.
“It is always important to win,” the Spaniard told Sky Sport Italia.
Rafa Benitez admired Inter's character and maintains “this side played very well at the start of the season, then the injuries came.”
There were reports the Coach would be sacked if he failed to get three points this evening, but the 1-0 victory over FC Twente secures their passage to the knockout rounds of the Champions League.
“It is always important to win,” the Spaniard told Sky Sport Italia.
“If a Coach is having problems, then the team and the club are also having problems. This side played very well at the start of the season, then the injuries came and it's not easy to work.
“Tonight we saw the team wanted to win and after Esteban Cambiasso's goal we went looking for a second. That is the right character I wanted to see.
“In the first half we had some chances, then Twente proved dangerous on the counter-attack. We did better after the break.”
Inter wasted numerous chances with Wesley Sneijder, then risked conceding an equaliser late on.
“Sneijder and Goran Pandev did great work against the Twente centre-backs,” insisted Benitez.
“As for Samuel Eto'o, he starts from the left flank because he has proved that he can score even when starting from there.”
Marco Materazzi was drafted in to help the defence, while Dejan Stankovic appears to have put his fitness problems behind him.
“Ivan Cordoba and Materazzi did great work. Now that Stankovic and Materazzi are back, it will really help our midfield.”