Ibrahimovic braced for Inter ire as Barca begin CL defence

Defending champions Barcelona travel to Inter Milan in Wednesday's stand-out Champions League fixture, with Barca's Zlatan Ibrahimovic set for a swift reunion with the club he left in the summer.

The Swedish striker's switch to the Nou Camp was one of the sensations of the close-season transfer window, after Barca paid an eye-watering 46 million euros to secure his signature and threw Cameroonian forward Samuel Eto'o into the bargain as well.

Both men have made goalscoring starts to life at their new clubs but Ibrahimovic provoked the ire of his former employers by suggesting that he was the main reason for the three Serie A crowns they won during his time at the San Siro.

Inter's Ghanaian midfielder Sulley Muntari was quick to remind his former teammate that there was more to Inter's title successes than Ibrahimovic's goals.

"Ibra says Barcelona are stronger than Inter, but I think we are stronger than they are," said Muntari.

"Why? Because I play for Inter. One of those players who ran for Ibrahimovic, the man who thinks he won it all by himself."

Ibrahimovic, though, says he will not be perturbed by the reaction of the crowd - or his ex-colleagues - when he returns to his old stomping ground.

"I'm not interested in how the crowd reacts, it is not important," said the former Juventus and Ajax man.

"It will be an enjoyable game, also because of the atmosphere that will be created. I had a good relationship with my teammates and I'll greet them with pleasure. I have nothing against them. After all, you don't easily forget three Scudetti in three years."

With Barca and Inter set to fight it out for superiority in Group F, the pressure will be on Dynamo Kiev and Russian Champions League debutants Rubin Kazan to get off to a good start when they meet in the Ukrainian capital.