Inter’s first home night of this Champions League league phase brings Club Brugge to San Siro, with both sides needing a response after opening-match defeats. Cristian Chivu’s side were beaten by Real Madrid, while the Belgian champions lost to Aston Villa, making the 21:00 meeting a swift test of their European recovery.
| Champions League stage | Fixture | Key detail |
|---|---|---|
| Matchday 1 | Inter v Real Madrid | Inter defeat |
| Matchday 1 | Club Brugge v Aston Villa | Club Brugge defeat |
| Matchday 2 | Inter v Club Brugge | San Siro, 21:00 |
| 5 November 2025 | Inter v Kairat | Lautaro Martinez’s most recent Champions League goal |
Chivu is expected to retain the 3-5-2 that has offered Inter both depth and flexibility, with Josep Martinez in goal behind Yann Bisseck, Manuel Akanji and Alessandro Bastoni. Denzel Dumfries is absent from the named selection, with Andy Diouf and Federico Dimarco set to operate wide of a midfield containing Nicolò Barella, Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Piotr Zielinski. Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram are again the likely attacking partnership.
For Club Brugge, former Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer returns to Milan in a new role. The Swiss international spent three seasons with the Nerazzurri, collecting two Serie A titles, the Coppa Italia and the Italian Super Cup before leaving during the summer. He now lines up under Ivan Leko and arrives with intimate knowledge of the strengths of the side he once guarded.
There is a connection in the opposite direction too. Aleksander Stankovic, son of former Inter great Dejan Stankovic, returned to Milan after winning the Belgian title with Club Brugge last season. He was also named the league’s leading young talent by Nieuwsblad, and has since begun to establish himself in Chivu’s squad.
Inter’s spread of goals, Lautaro’s European wait
Chivu has made clear that places are not guaranteed, and Inter’s early-season scoring record supports that approach: ten different players have already found the net. Yet the spotlight will naturally fall on Lautaro, whose Champions League drought has extended to six appearances. His last goal in the competition came at home to Kairat on 5 November 2025.
Club Brugge will look to Nicolo Tresoldi to provide their cutting edge. The forward has six goals already this season and is set to lead a 4-2-3-1 featuring Hans Vanaken behind him, alongside Carlos Forbs and Christos Tzolis Virgili.
Expected teams
Inter: J. Martinez; Bisseck, Akanji, Bastoni; Diouf, Barella, Çalhanoğlu, Zielinski, Dimarco; Lautaro Martinez, Thuram. Coach: Cristian Chivu.
Club Brugge: Sommer; Sabbe, Mechele, Lee, Seys; Vetlesen, Potts; Forbs, Vanaken, Virgili; Tresoldi. Coach: Ivan Leko.
Norway’s Rohit Saggi will referee the match at San Siro.
