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Inter Milan coach
Rafael Benitez’s past returned to haunt him as his side lost 3-2 to
Panathinaikos in a pre-season friendly on Tuesday, but the Spaniard
preferred to focus on the challenges ahead rather than dwell on defeat.

Two goals from
striker Djibril Cisse and one from winger Sebastian Leto, both sold by
Benitez when he was in charge of Liverpool, were enough to give the
Greek double winners a well deserved win over Europe’s top team from
last season.

However, the loss
in his second game in charge since leaving Merseyside for the Italian
giants was hardly unexpected for a man charged with filling a huge void
left by departed coach Jose Mourinho.

“I expected this
behaviour tonight,” Benitez told reporters after following up Sunday’s
3-0 friendly win over big-spending Manchester City with a disappointing
display.

“There are going to be highs and lows because this is the beginning of the season.

“We played too long
and too wide and it was easy for them to play.” Inter won a domestic
double and the Champions League under Mourinho last season before the
Portuguese moved on to Spain’s Real Madrid but Benitez was quick to
point out that he has inherited a side he feels will challenge again
for more honours.

“We have the
opportunities to win trophies… a lot of them,” Benitez added. “That
is the challenge and I’m pleased to be in this situation and we will
try to win as much as we can.” Goals from Samuel Eto’o and Coutinho
gave the scoreline a flattering look but the absence of Mario Balotelli
for a second straight game, would suggest the young striker’s expected
move to Manchester City was imminent despite Benitez’s view of events.

“I have no news, everything is like it is before,” Benitez said when asked about the 19-year-old striker.

After a northern
hemisphere summer that has seen a parade of European teams march
through the city, Toronto appeared to be suffering from friendly
fatigue with a crowd of 17,169 sprinkled through the Rogers Centre on
hot, muggy evening.

Like Manchester
United, who passed through Toronto in July, Inter Milan is an
international sporting brand both teams using their North American
tours as much for marketing purposes as training.