MILAN Hector Cuper's gamble of resting leading striker Christian Vieri backfired at the San Siro on Thursday when Inter Milan were held to a 1-1 draw by ten-man Valencia in their UEFA Cup quarterfinal first leg.

Italy goalkeeper Francesco Toldo was also rested for the tie against Cuper's former club, with Inter, second in Serie A behind Roma on goal difference, clearly keeping one eye on Sunday's league game against Lecce.

Inter took the lead seven minutes into the second half when Marco Materazzi headed in a Clarence Seedorf corner, but the Champions League finalists of the past two years hit back 13 minutes later through Francisco Rufete, Reuters reported.

The Italian side were unable to take a first leg lead to Spain despite playing most of the second half against ten men, after Valencia's Kily Gonzalez was sent off in the 55th minute for lashing out following a clash with Mohammed Kallon.

"We deserved to win but we missed the necessary concentration to get the right result at home," Cuper was quoted as saying on Inter Milan's website.

"We paid for losing concentration when they scored, although I believe there was a foul," he said.

"I am not satisfied because we didn't have the same ability to control the game when Valencia had a man less.

"The sending-off changed the game and we lost the ability to dictate the game," he said.

Inter forward Kallon was twice denied by Valencia goalkeeper Jose Canizares while Kily Gonzalez created reasonable openings for John Carew and Pablo Aimar.