Inter achieved their first victory in this year's Champions League, after winning 1-0 over Shakhtar (Donetsk) in a match from the third round of the main phase. The “Nerazurri“ had to fight to the end for success, after playing with a man less from the 68th minute due to the red card of Alessandro Bastoni.
After the end of the match, the head coach of the Milanese giants, Cristian Chivu, praised the character and uncompromising nature of his players. According to the Romanian specialist, it was the team's willingness to fight in difficult moments that was decisive for the three points won.
Chivu admitted that Inter did not start the match in the best way and at times experienced difficulties against a well-organized opponent. However, he noted that the triple substitution made helped the team to restore the dynamics and improve the interaction between the players.
“We started relatively well, but during the match there was some concern about how to maintain our structure against a quality opponent who is able to play at a high level. We were a little stiff, but thanks to the triple substitution we regained energy, dynamics and good combinations“, explained the coach.
Bastoni's expulsion put Inter in a difficult situation, but according to Chivu, it was then that his players showed the necessary mental resilience. Instead of breaking under pressure, the Nerazzurri rallied and did what was necessary to maintain their lead.
“When we were down to ten men, we did exactly what we had been lacking until now. We rolled up our sleeves and realized that we had to give it our all to stay together. Beautiful football doesn't always bring results - sometimes it takes heart and character to make an extra effort. That's exactly what the players showed tonight”, said Chivu.
The Romanian specialist also drew attention to the busy calendar, which requires the players to maintain a high level of performance over several days. According to him, in a tournament like the Champions League, not only technical skills and tactical discipline are needed, but also quick decisions, confidence and readiness for tough battles.
„The season is long and we play every three days, so it takes a lot of strength to maintain such a level. Sometimes experience alone can be enough to achieve the goal if the match is not too intense, but in the Champions League this does not work. Here you have to run fast, think fast and have the necessary confidence“, emphasized the Inter coach.
Chivu believes that the team's ability to withstand the pressure and fight until the final whistle was of key importance for the success against Shakhtar.
“Today we were ready to suffer for the sake of victory and in my opinion that is exactly what we lacked in the previous matches“, concluded the coach.
Despite the valuable success, Inter still has only three points and is in the bottom half of the standings in the main phase of the Champions League. However, the victory could be an important step for the Milanese team in its attempt to improve its position in the tournament.