It's No Way Jose!

The former Inter Milan manager, Jose Mourinho, returns to the Giuseppe Meazza stadium in Milan this week for the return leg of the Champions League group match with an unbeaten Real Madrid – who are also undefeated in La Liga and currently top the table. On this visit to the stadium Mourinho will sit in the Visitors’ dugout – a place he has only sat twice for the Milan derby – and will once again get some close attention from the AC Milan fans on Wednesday night 

When the self-proclaimed “Special One" left Inter Milan last season their trophy room was more cluttered than it was upon his arrival after winning the Italian Cup, the Scudetto – Serie A Title and then the Champions League against German footballing aristocrats, Bayern Munich, at the Santiago Bernabeu - where he now makes his living. That number of trophies had not been seen in one season at Inter for many decades and delighted fans as well as the Moratti Family – doyens of the Internazionale for many generations. 

On the other side of the city, AC Milan, saw it all with much less affection. 

So Wednesday night will serve as a reminder of Mourinho’s achievements with Inter and the club will not be in the mood to lose again, especially given their easy dismissal in Madrid by 3 -0 a few weeks ago. But no one is better equipped in the modern management game for such turbulence than Jose Mourinho, who has already survived life at Porto FC; Chelsea Football Club and two seasons at Inter Milan. 

As if to prove it was not all just good luck he took on the task at Real Madrid – a place that has seem many great named managers fall asunder - in the fuzzy footballing haze that has been known it’s time as the “Land of Galacticos”. Thus far Mourinho has outwitted even the toughest critics of Real Madrid Football Club reversing every statistic at the club with the team unbeaten in three preliminary rounds of the Champions League for the first time in a while. 

However he arrives at the San Siro knowing that Real Madrid have a poor record with both Milan teams having recorded ten defeats and three draws against the two teams in recent meetings. Even last season the Spanish team only avoided away defeat against Milan after drawing 1-1 when Ronaldinho's penalty cancelled out Karim Benzema's early goal. In fact, Real Madrid have failed to win on their last five visits to Italy with their last success being a 3-0 win at AS Roma in the 2004/05 season in Champions’ League group stage. 

In Serie A Mourinho at Inter he played Milan four times winning on three occasions with only one loss. The last win perhaps is the freshest on the Milan fans mind and it was a 4-0 loss to Internazionale in August 2009. 

On the field there is overlap too with Dutchman Clarence Seedorf a former Real player having made 121 La Liga appearances from 1996 to 1999 - also winning the Champions League in 1998 at the Amsterdam Arena. Not unlike Kaká, who made the switch the other way after six seasons at the Italian, Seedorf has also won the Champions League with Milan in 2003 and 2007. The Brazilian moved to Real Madrid in 2009. 

Robinho is another who played for Madrid between 2005 and 2008, scoring 25 goals in 101 Liga appearances but has arrived in Milan after a turbulent time at Manchester City and with his promising talent less than fulfilled – so far. 

In la Liga Real Madrid are unbeaten since April 10th -when they lost 2-0 to Barcelona - and have scored 19 goals in their last four Liga outings - with Ronaldo scoring four alone against Real Racing Club 6-1 last month. Although José Mourinho's side were held to a 0-0 draw at Real Murcia in the first leg of the Copa del Rey they plan to amend that in the second leg next week. 

The horror of last year's defeat to lowly Alcorcón still haunts the players at the Santiago Bernabeu and started the demise of the previous manager, Manuel Pellegrini. 

In terms of injuries the news is that Raúl Albiol made his first appearance of the season at Murcia with Sergio Ramos returning to action following a knee ligament problem that had kept him out for a fortnight. On the negative side Lassana Diarra has not played since the first leg with Ezequiel Garay and Fernando Gago yet to play for Madrid this season. 

As for Kaká he will probably miss the group stage having undergone surgery on his left knee in early August. 

But the overall story is that José Mourinho returns to San Siro to face AC Milan aiming to end Real Madrid CF's jinx at his old stamping ground hoping to book a place in the last 16 - after already beating Milan 2-0 in Madrid. A win would ensure Real Madrid's progress from Group G and a draw would suffice - should AJ Auxerre beat AFC Ajax.