Bridge battle will be a war that neither Jose Mourinho or Carlo Ancelotti can afford to lose

However, tonight they will be united in anxiety during at least 90 minutes of high drama in the Champions League, which could decide whether their reigns at Inter Milan and Chelsea end up a success or a failure.

The pressure on both coaches could not be higher. They were hired on big salaries predominantly to win the biggest prize European club football has to offer and an early exit at the last-16 stage will be frowned upon in the boardroom.

There are one or two significant sub-plots to add to the levels of tension as Chelsea look to overturn Inter's slender 2-1 advantage, namely the duo's dislike for each other and the fact Mourinho is returning to Stamford Bridge for the first time since he was sacked in 2007 after a three-year spell at the helm.

It is a script worthy of any Oscar contender and the Special One has once again cast himself as the main protagonist. The 47-year-old may still be revered by the majority of the English media, let alone Chelsea supporters, for the charisma, controversy and trophies he brought to south-west London, yet most of Italy appear to have had an allergic reaction to his antagonistic style at new club Inter Milan.

One gets the impression his bosses at the San Siro are running out of patience too, especially as his combative nature is earning a plethora of negative headlines rather than trophies.

The build-up to the first leg was overshadowed by the Italian football authorities' decision to hand him a three-game touchline ban for making a handcuffed' gesture toward a referee in a League match.

Ahead of the return, all the talk is of a reported bust-up with Mario Balotelli, which has seen the talented Italian striker left behind in Milan rather than in the squad as expected.

During his 45-minute press conference last night, Morinho answered journalists' questions from these shores with relish and a smile. Those of Italian descent were met with a cold stare and a frosty response.

There is no doubt that he sees tonight as an opportunity to prove a huge point to a lot of people — the legion of critics, his employers and to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, who clearly still has not been forgiven for cutting short his time in the capital.

AC Milan star Marcel Desailly believes this second encounter with his former club could make or break Morinho. "He needs to win the Champions League," the former Chelsea captain said. "The way he behaves, people inside Inter like him but outside of Inter they almost hate him.

"The Champions League is a possibility to speak to the people and say, I have managed to win the League and at the same time bring the club to a certain level.'

"Obviously, Inter have won Serie A four times in a row, but they need the Champions League. The president Massimo Moratti wants it, the club have been looking for it for years now.

"I think Mourinho has been really affected by playing Chelsea because he is annoyed that he was sacked just when he had huge potential. Externally, he is cool and composed and seems to be handling things well but inside he must boil. He was the man and everyone loved him and then he was sacked."

While Mourinho's intensity is still there for all to see, Ancelotti's stoic appearance in front of the cameras a few hours earlier gave the impression little is at stake.

However, the Italian must be aware he will be forever haunted by the Special One's image in SW6 if Chelsea are knocked out of the competition by their former boss.

As it stands, the majority of Chelsea's squad are not the only thing Mourinho can lay claim to, he also still owns the hearts and minds of the fans.

His name is bound to be sung from the home end once again despite the threat he poses to their team's hopes, but for current boss Ancelotti the jury is still out.

Desailly, who knows the Italian well having replaced him in AC Milan's midfield in the 1990s, feels the match is key for Ancelotti's hopes of putting Mourinho's ghost to rest at the club.
He added: "Ancelotti is at peace and there are no nerves on him but obviously winning would help him counter the image of Mourinho a little bit.

"When Mourinho came to the club he really pushed and took Chelsea to a very high level.

"All the players know that Mourinho brought them the desire and performance to be a winner and for that they love him. Ancelotti is getting the respect of the players not from doing any tricks but just by who he is, how clever he is, showing his players the tactics and how to win games.

"The players respect him because he won the Champions League two times as a coach and two times as a player.

"He just wants the pleasure of football and the players are the ones who have to be on the frontline."

The players may be the ones doing battle tonight but it is one of the managers who could pay the ultimate price for losing the war.