VALENCIA, March 12 (UEFA Cup) - The curtains were supposed to be drawn on the Mestalla Stadium when Hector Cuper called time on his successful two-year stint and left for Inter Milan in the summer.

Many of the football experts in Spain felt the club had been punching above their weight because of the extraordinary talents of the Argentinian, who steered them into successive Champions League finals.

But coaches come and go, and even with the departures of Cuper and inspirational midfielder Gaizka Mendieta, to Inter and Lazio respectively, Valencia appear to have improved under new boss Rafael Benitez.

In the Spanish top flight, the strongest league in Europe, Valencia are numero uno with nine games to play.

How intriguing it now is, then, that Cuper will try to engineer the downfall of `Los Che' when his Inter host Valencia in the UEFA Cup tomorrow night.

``I hope it does not affect the players,'' Benitez told PA International.

Cuper still knows the relative strengths and weaknesses of many in the Valencia side.

It was he, after all, who brought them to the club.

One of them, Argentine forward Pablo Aimar, has been in a rich vein of form of late and is expected to play.

``Nowadays we have the means to know our rivals well, so Inter Milan knows us well, but equally we know them well,'' Benitez said.

There is not as much prestige in the UEFA Cup as the Champions League, but the pressures are the same, Benitez believes.

``There is much more pressure at UEFA matches where you risk elimination in every match rather than in the Champions where the league system is not as stressful,'' he said.

``Moreover, the rivals in the UEFA Cup are by no means inferior. We are playing against Inter Milan and AC Milan is also a great team. I believe it is the same or even more stressful.''

How true. Inter have led Serie A for much of the campaign, and currently share the top spot with Roma.

Big-spending AC Milan are struggling, but they are talented enough to beat any team in the world.

Benitez said: ``They (Inter) have a very solid defence and great strikers such as Christian Vieri. We do not fear Inter Milan but we value their virtues as our rival.

``The fact that Ronaldo is not playing does not mean anything because whoever takes his place is equally capable of causing problems to Valencia, so I don't think it matters whether he plays or not from Valencia's point of view.''

Ronaldo, the Brazilian international striker, has returned to train with his team-mates after more than a month recovering from a muscle injury in Brazil.

But he will not be on the pitch.

``I imagine it is going to be a top clash between two very equal teams who are currently heading the league tables of two important leagues such as the Spanish and Italian,'' Benitez said.

``We will go out to play our game in the San Siro. Valencia wants to win there. We will evaluate once the match is in progress what our options are, but Valencia needs to play how we know.''

Benitez is being careful not to give Cuper additional incentive.

``When I came to Valencia, it already had a great team and a high standard of professionalism and this makes it much more easier to work with,'' he said.

Benitez will wait on the fitness of midfielders David Albelda and Kily Gonzalez, who both have knee problems, until almost the last minute before kick off in the San Siro stadium.

If they are not fit, their places will be taken by Gonzalo de los Santos and Vicente Rodriguez.

Injuries will deprive Cuper, meanwhile, of defenders Nelson Vivas, Grigoris Georgatos, Pasquale Padalino and Gonzalo Sorondo, midfielder Buruk Okan and Ronaldo.

Midfielder Cristiano Zanetti will miss the game because of a ban.