Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho did miss out on the chance of taking a swipe at Barcelona after his side produced a display of sheer class to beat the Catalans 3-1 in the first leg of the Champions League semi final. Title holders Barcelona were favorites to outclass Inter and reach the final but Mourinho's tactical ability once again made the difference, giving the Italian champions a convincing first-leg advantage. Mourinho spoke highly about his players but still had time to criticize Barcelona's post-match complaints about the referee, having been involved in a spat with the Spanish champions' midfielder Xavi in the tunnel after the game. "I saw some things in the tunnel that already make me think what awaits me next week (in the second leg)," the Portuguese tactician, who won the Serie A title in his first season in charge of Inter last term, said. "What I saw was the Barcelona players who were angry with the referees, and it should be said that their memory is very short because I can't forget when 'my' Chelsea players cried last year over refereeing in the match against Barcelona. "This evening they weren't capable of saying that they lost against a team that deserved to win." Cautious Note Mourinho sounded a cautious note after goals from Wesley Sneijder, Diego Milito and Brazilian right-back Maicon handed Inter a valuable win over a Barcelona side that looked unstoppable en their route to the semi final. "It's not easy to win against Barcelona, it's not easy to score against them, it's not easy to defend against them, but we did all of this," the former Chelsea coach added. "However, we are still far from the final. There is a still a match to go in Barcelona against a super-quality team and a club which is a tough club: we have to be careful. "We have two possibilities after the match in Barcelona: go to Madrid or come home, but in any case we will come home with our heads held very high. But I repeat, Madrid is still far away." Inter, who won the European Cup twice in 1964 and 1965, face Barcelona in the second leg at Nou Camp next Wednesday.
