Club Brugge left San Siro with a 4-3 Champions League win over Inter, driven by Nicolò Tresoldi’s first-half and second-half hat-trick in a night that reshaped the striker’s standing across Europe.
What the night decided
Tresoldi, born in Cagliari in 2004, supplied three of Brugge’s four goals against Inter. His penalty on 30 minutes opened the scoring, and he restored the Belgian side’s lead in the 63rd minute after Josep Martínez misjudged his intervention. Eleven minutes later, Tresoldi reacted quickest when the Inter goalkeeper could only repel Carlos Forbs’ close-range attempt, turning in the rebound for 3-1.
Inter fought back, but Brugge held on for a 4-3 victory. Tresoldi had nearly begun his extraordinary evening even earlier, striking the post after 26 minutes. Replaced by Romeo Vermant in the 83rd minute, he departed with the match ball rather than a fourth goal.
“It was an incredible night, impossible to describe,” Tresoldi said. “I had imagined it so many times.”
The former Hannover 96 forward now has seven goals in 12 Champions League appearances. Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, Aston Villa and Monaco had already been among his victims; Inter are the latest addition.
He also joined Gareth Bale as the only visiting players to score a Champions League hat-trick against Inter. Bale achieved the feat for Tottenham in 2010. Tresoldi is Brugge’s first player to register a Champions League treble and, at 22 years and 54 days, became the youngest German to do so in the competition, overtaking Karim Adeyemi’s previous mark of 22 years and 257 days.
A Milan supporter’s dream at San Siro
The setting carried an additional personal weight for Tresoldi. A Milan fan who follows the club closely, he had described playing at San Siro as a dream before the match and likened the occasion to a derby.
Afterwards, with the player-of-the-match award and the hat-trick ball in hand, he said Milan supporters had contacted him before kick-off asking for goals and a victory. He added that he follows Italian football closely and that playing for Milan has always been an ambition.
Three countries, one international decision still open
The next major question around Tresoldi concerns his international future. He currently represents Germany at under-21 level, but his eligibility reaches beyond one country: he was born in Italy, has German ties and has an Argentine mother.
“I am Italian, but I am German too, and my mother is Argentine,” he said, insisting that the decision will come at the appropriate time.
He has described his character as a blend of Argentine competitiveness, German composure and mentality, and Italian enjoyment on and off the pitch. For now, though, he is content with Germany’s under-21 side.
His father, Emanuele Tresoldi, won the European Under-21 Championship with Italy, and Nicolò has said it is a trophy he would like to win himself.
Interest from Italy and Germany has accompanied his rise, although Tresoldi believes reports linking him with Italy have not always been accurate. He said he had spoken with Jürgen Klopp, Roberto Mancini and both national federations to explain his position.
“There are many better forwards than me in Italy and Germany,” Tresoldi said. “But after this night, I hope I can have more confidence in myself.”
