Inter’s trip to Bologna now carries an awkward question that would have seemed unlikely only a few weeks ago: whether Josep Martinez can remain Cristian Chivu’s first-choice goalkeeper after another European night that exposed the team’s growing uncertainty.
Martinez, promoted to the starting role during the summer, has endured a markedly different run in continental competition from the one many expected. In Madrid, he was beaten after a difficult moment against Federico Valverde. Against Club Brugge, his decision to leave his area allowed Nicolo Tresoldi to score the goal that made it 2-1, an error that has placed Chivu in a delicate position.
The Inter coach had already been considering opportunities for Ivan Provedel, the deputy to the Spanish goalkeeper. Martinez’s latest mistake has increased the pressure to make a change, but it has also made the decision more complicated. Dropping Martinez immediately could further damage the confidence of a player already affected by his recent errors. Handing Provedel his debut, meanwhile, would place the replacement under immediate scrutiny, with little room for an uncertain start.
Chivu weighs a temporary choice
Before choosing his goalkeeper for Bologna, Chivu intends to speak with Martinez and assess his psychological response. He still believes the Spaniard is a strong goalkeeper, and any decision is expected to be provisional rather than a definitive verdict on either player.
If Provedel is selected in Serie A, he would also be in line to play against Shakhtar in the Champions League. The situation has an ironic edge for Inter: at this point last season, Yann Sommer was the goalkeeper under discussion. Sommer, now with Brugge, was missed on Tuesday as criticism moved on to his successor.
Martinez is not the only Inter player whose Champions League performance has raised concerns. The defeat in Bruges revealed a wider loss of sharpness among several players returning from international duty, particularly those who spent the Nations League break away from Appiano Gentile.
Akanji needs recovery time
Manuel Akanji’s opening-weekend duel with Varela of Monza had already suggested that his early-season form was below last year’s standard. At the time, the issue could be linked to the physical hangover felt by many Serie A players after the World Cup. The concern now appears more persistent.
Akanji has not yet looked like the dominant and dependable defender Inter saw last season, his first in the Nerazzurri shirt. Against Brugge, his attempt to recover ground on Vermant before the forward’s chipped finish for the fourth goal illustrated a defender short of his usual authority.
His workload with Switzerland has been substantial. During the international break, Akanji completed all 360 minutes available across four matches under Murat Yakin. More damaging than the match time itself was the absence of training with Inter, a problem shared by other players involved in the Nations League programme.
Chivu responded by resting a number of regular starters against Parma after the break, with Akanji among them. But the defender did not look refreshed in the Champions League. He managed Tresoldi reasonably well in the first half before his performance declined sharply after the interval.
Inter need him back at full level, especially while John Stones remains unavailable through injury.
Barella’s international struggles follow him back to Inter
Nicolò Barella has shown two contrasting versions of himself so far this season. In Serie A, he has often been energetic, forceful and productive, beginning the campaign much better than he did a year ago. His displays at Cagliari and Roma were among his strongest.
In international and European matches, however, his form has been much less convincing. He received ratings of 5.5 and 4.5 for his Champions League displays and also struggled during Italy’s Nations League fixtures.
The turning point may have come in Italy’s opening match against Belgium under Roberto Mancini. Barella’s error enabled Dodi Lukebakio to break away for the move that led to Belgium’s second goal, angering the Italy coach. He was then left out of the squad against Turkey and named only among the substitutes for the France match, a striking shift for a player previously regarded as automatic selection.
After returning from international duty, Chivu did not use Barella against Parma, allowing him to work without the demands of a match. That rest did not bring the desired response. Against Brugge, Barella delivered his poorest performance of the season. He had also struggled in Madrid and had not welcomed being substituted for Sucic on that occasion.
One costly lapse should not define a player of Barella’s quality, but the pattern of performances gives Inter reason to examine why his influence has dipped at a crucial point in the season.
Zielinski’s difficult evening in Bruges
Piotr Zielinski also returned from the international break below his best. His mistimed challenge against Brugge allowed the quick Forbs to run into open space. Hakan Calhanoglu then conceded a penalty while trying to recover the situation, and Inter fell behind.
The Polish midfielder’s problem was not limited to that one intervention. His use of the ball was unusually untidy, adding to a confused Inter display in possession.
Zielinski had appeared to be moving beyond the difficulties of his first season at the club, when physical problems restricted his impact and he was unable to secure as much playing time as he had hoped. Better performances afterwards and his gradual rise towards a starting place under Chivu had suggested Inter had effectively gained an additional solution without entering the market.
Instead, he is now experiencing another decline in efficiency, with the Brugge match making it impossible to ignore. Like Akanji and Barella, Zielinski arrived back from the national-team period without the usual training rhythm at club level.
For Chivu, Bologna is therefore about more than a response to one Champions League defeat. It is a chance to restore calm around Martinez, recover defensive stability through Akanji, and bring Barella and Zielinski back to the levels that have made them central figures in Inter’s season.
