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Chelsea were knocked out of the Champions League by a magnificent Inter performance, capped off by an superb display by Wesley Sneijder and a 78th minute winner from Samuel Eto'o. The main team news came from the visitors, with Jose Mourniho include all three of his available attackers Samuel Eto�o, Diego Milito and Goran Pandev, with Wesley Sneijder in close proximity. For Chelsea, Ross Turnbull was given the nod in goal as expected. Inter created the first half-chance in the opening moments. Maicon squared the ball for Esteban Cambiasso, whose shot from 20 yards cannoned off a defender and landed for Samuel Eto�o, but his decision to take a touch before attempting to shoot was a costly one and he was dispossessed. Florent Malouda tried to claim a penalty for Chelsea soon after as he advanced through the centre, but after knocking the ball past Lucio, the Frenchman had run straight into the Brazilian defender. Inter went back on the attack, and Goran Pandev picked up the ball and played a neat cross to the marauding Maicon, who was in acres of space on Inter�s right, but after drawing Yuri Zhirkov, the right-back blasted high into the crowd at the near post. Chelsea�s first real sighter came on 11 minutes, when Michael Ballack picked up the ball 20 yards out and drove a right footed cross-shot just wide of Julio Cesar�s goal. Inter were awarded a free-kick 20 yards from goal on the right after Frank Lampard made contact with Eto�o after more good work by Maicon had opened up Chelsea. Sneijder swung the set piece into a dangerous position, but Milito couldn�t get a head to the ball. Moments later Lucio�s dangerously high foot caught Malouda, prompting a two-part showdoon between the two sets of players. When the referee finally managed to calm the sides down, Didier Drogba belted the free-kick straight into the wall. Samuel Eto�o then picked up a yellow card when he protested against referee Wolfgang Stark�s decision to give Milito offside as he ran into space from the Cameroonian�s pass. There was an opening for Chelsea when, from a cross from the right, Malouda flicked the ball on for Drogba, whose shot with the outside of his right boot was well blocked by Maicon, and Lampard skied the rebound. The home side could have made more of a great opportunity in the 32nd minute. Nicolas Anelka made good progress down the right and fortuitously received the ball back from an attempted one-two, but his pull-back was a poor one and was easily cleared. The Blues were almost made to pay in the cruelest of fashions when Inter attacked down the right through Maicon once more. The Brazilian�s cross was completely missed by John Terry, but Eto�o reacted too slowly to the chance and could only head the ball into the ground. It was the best chance of the game up to that point. More good work down the right between Maicon and Eto�o created a half-chance for Diego Milito, but he was dispossessed by two just as he was about to turn and shoot. From the corner, Anelka broke well, but when he tried to bring his supporting team-mates into play, Cambiasso swept up superbly to send Inter forward again. The move resulted in a free-kick from 35 yards out, which Sneijder fired straight at the wall. A magnificent passing move by Chelsea seemed to have created the opening goal as Malouda ghosted through to gain a sight of goal, but his fierce left-foot shot was brilliantly cut out by Walter Samuel�s amazing last-ditch diving challenge. As chances started to come thick and fast for the Englishmen, Malouda chipped in from the left, there was confusion between Lucio and Samuel, and Anelka�s shot was saved by Julio Cesar, with the rebound coming off Thiago Motta and running for a corner to the home side. From the resulting flag-kick, Samuel and Drogba ended up in a pile on the ground, but the Ivorian�s extensive protests (he was still at it two minutes later) fell on the deaf ears of referee Stark. Samuel�s toe again came to the rescue for the Italians when Drogba�s chest down sent in Lampard, but the Argentine covered superbly to deny the England midfielder and keep the scores level at the break.