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Inter Milan boss Roberto Mancini refusing to take Celtic lightly

Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini is hoping his players will be fully focused from start to finish in Thursday's Europa League last-32 second leg against Celtic at the San Siro.

Inter held the Scottish champions to a 3-3 draw at Celtic Park in last week's first leg.

And while Mancini was pleased to see his side score three away goals, he is not getting complacent ahead of the return game.

"We need maximum concentration for this game,'' Mancini told the Italian media on Wednesday. "The 3-3 result in the first leg gives us a slight advantage. But we need to be fully focused because Celtic is a type of team that never gives up.

"Tomorrow's match is important. It's not going to be an easy game and we cannot make any mistakes. We've had the best possible preparation thanks to our good results.''

Inter endured a dismal start to the Serie A season, while they were eliminated from the Coppa Italia last month.

However, the team appears to have turned the corner under Mancini of late, with Monday's 2-1 triumph at Cagliari their third straight league win, which lifted them up to eighth in the table. Not since November 2012 had Inter last won three straight league games in a row.

"The victories give us confidence,'' Mancini said. "Our three wins in a row are down to hard work. For now, we don't look at the table, because we are not still where Inter should be. We need to keep playing well. We need to improve the way we manage games, especially when we're in the lead.''

Inter are unbeaten at home this season in European competition, and Mancini said: "The fans at the San Siro have always helped us. I believe we will have a good crowd tomorrow that will give us a helping hand.''

Juan Pablo Carrizo will replace Samir Handanovic in goal, with the Argentine Mancini's chosen keeper for the Europa League.

Mancini confirmed that Rodrigo Palacio, who scored two goals in the first leg last week, will play alongside Mauro Icardi in attack, with Fredy Guarin playing in support.