MILAN, Italy (Reuters) – Holders Inter Milan faced almost certain elimination from the Champions League after collapsing to a stunning 5-2 home defeat by a makeshift Schalke 04 team in their quarter-final first leg at the San Siro yesterday.
Inter looked on course to continue the defence of their title when in the first minute Schalke goalkeeper Manuel Neuer ran out to head the ball clear and Dejan Stankovic calmly volleyed the ball into the net from just inside his own half.
The German side struck back through Joel Matip and although Diego Milito briefly restored Inter’s lead, two goals from Edu, one from Raul and an own goal by Andrea Ranocchia put Schalke in complete control of the tie.
Inter’s night got even worse when defender Cristian Chivu was sent off for his second yellow card midway through the second half.
The match had an extraordinary start when Neuer rushed out of his area to head clear Esteban Cambiasso’s long ball forward.
His clearance landed at the feet of Stankovic who produced an exquisite volley which flew over the bemused goalkeeper and into the goal.
Schalke levelled in the 17th minute when Kyriakos Papadopoulos’s was saved by Julio Cesar but Matip followed up to bury the rebound.
Inter retook the lead in the 34th minute when Wesley Sneijder picked out Cambiasso at the far post and he headed the ball into the path of fellow Argentine Milito, who sidefooted his first Champions League goal of the season.

SECOND ATTEMPT
It took only six minutes for Schalke to level again when Alexander Baumjohann sent Edu free down the right and he scored at the second attempt after Julio Cesar once again saved in vain.
Inter made an electric start to the second half, Milito failing to put away a clear chance after he scuttled clear of the Schalke defence and Neuer atoning for his eccentricity with a superb save to deny Samuel Eto’o.
Schalke made the most of their let-off as Spanish striker Raul scored with a trademark finish in the 53rd minute to extend his record as the competition’s leading scorer.
Four minutes later, disaster struck for the Italians when Jose Manuel Jurado broke down the right and his low cross was turned into his own net by Ranocchia.
Inter completely lost their shape at that point and Jurado struck the post before Edu added another, sparking a mass exodus of Inter fans.