Inter’s European campaign found its first real turn at San Siro, where a late Carlos Augusto goal carried the Italian champions past Shakhtar after Alessandro Bastoni’s dismissal had threatened to deepen an already damaging run.
The 1-0 victory arrived with Inter under unusual pressure. Defeats in their opening two Champions League fixtures, following attacking displays that had produced 49 attempts across trips to the Bernabeu and the match against Club Brugge, had left Cristian Chivu’s side needing more than another performance without a result. A further loss would have made it five consecutive Champions League defeats, after four had already set an unwanted club record.
Instead, Inter joined Roma, Napoli and Como in completing a perfect European round for Italian clubs. The four sides recorded four wins and 13 goals in all: Roma imposed themselves, Napoli showed their familiar resilience, Como brought attacking life to the Sinigaglia, and Inter eventually supplied the defiance.
A cautious start at San Siro
Chivu altered the approach after the early setbacks. Rather than repeat the open, aggressive games that had brought defeat, Inter initially chose control: a lower tempo, tighter distances and fewer opportunities for opponents to play through the gaps.
That caution became excessive during a first hour in which the hosts struggled to create a proper rhythm. Hakan Calhanoglu’s switches towards Federico Dimarco offered one of the few useful routes forward, with Bastoni also finding the wing on one occasion, but Inter’s attacking players could not turn those deliveries into clear chances.
There were only a couple of modest opportunities before the interval. Shakhtar, who had arrived in Milan four points ahead of Inter, were content to protect their shape and move the ball neatly when possession came their way. They did not force the pace either, but their compact defending made the stalemate increasingly uncomfortable for the home side.
The visitors’ entrance had also carried a visible statement of unity, with yellow-and-blue flags draped around the shoulders of players from Ukraine and Brazil alike. They were organised, composed and clearly unwilling to be pushed aside.
Bastoni’s red card changes the night
The match changed in the second half when Bastoni was sent off with the score still goalless. At that point, Inter’s restrained game plan had produced little certainty, and the prospect of another European disappointment looked very real.
Yet playing with 10 men brought the response that had been missing. Inter attacked with greater purpose over the final 20 minutes, showing the urgency and collective character Chivu had needed from his champions.
Carlos Augusto struck on the counterattack to give Inter the breakthrough. It was his second goal in the competition, and it gave the Nerazzurri a victory that was deserved above all for their reaction after being reduced to 10 players.
The result puts Inter back in contention for direct qualification, while also changing the mood around a side that had appeared anxious after two opening defeats. For an hour, San Siro had watched a team caught between caution and hesitation. By full-time, it had seen an Inter side prepared to fight for its European season.
