"Let’s be honest here, we needed this victory. Playing good football is nice too, but what mattered the most today was the result." That was Nicolò Barella, quoted by football-italia.net after Inter's tense European night against Shakhtar Donetsk. It was an unusually plain summary of where Inter were. They went into this match with 0 points from 2 Champions League games, and the performance itself did little to hide how much pressure had built up.

The pressure Inter were carrying

Barella's point matched the wider context. Inter had lost their first two Champions League matches this season against Real Madrid and Club Brugge. They were 31st in the table before this game, while Shakhtar arrived 14th with 4 points.

Including last season, Inter had lost seven out of eight games in the tournament going into San Siro. Seen through that run, relief was always going to matter more than style.

Cristian Chivu made the same admission from the bench. Speaking to football-italia.net, he said: "I think our Champions League results in the last year and a half left some traces and it showed in the first half."

That is a worrying thing for a coach to say publicly, but it also rang true with how the game developed. Inter were not playing like a side trying to impose themselves in Europe. They looked like one trying not to let another bad night spiral.

Bastoni's red card and the way Inter had to win

The match turned further when Alessandro Bastoni received two yellow cards in quick succession. Inter then had to protect the night with 10 men, which is where the mood shifted fully from control to survival.

There is room for debate over the dismissal. Carlos Augusto said afterwards he was not sure both cautions were yellow cards, while Chivu's line was a bit different. Quoted in Italian by Sky Sport Italia, in comments translated from Italian, he said: "We did have a good approach, then we got a bit worried. The last defeats in the Champions League have left some traces, we needed to play an organised match." Chivu also said Bastoni had been provoked but still made a lapse in concentration.

That feels like the fairest reading of the incident. Inter can complain about the circumstances, but they also know the red card came from a loss of composure.

The winning moment only reinforced the theme of the night. Carlos Augusto, who had started on the left side of a back three before moving to left wing-back, broke forward to score after Inter were left with 10 men. His goal was his first in the Champions League this season.

He told football-italia.net: "It was an important goal, as Shakhtar Donetsk are a really good team, they pass it around well, but I have to credit my teammates, as it was not easy to play down to 10 men and we showed how much we wanted this victory."

That was not the end of Inter's work. Josep Martínez still had to make a couple of important saves in the closing stages, which summed up the evening more accurately than any talk of a statement performance.

Relief first, bigger questions later

The key detail from Inter vs Shakhtar Donetsk is that Inter eased the pressure without solving everything that created it. Barella admitted they did not know how deserved the result was. Chivu admitted recent Champions League defeats are still affecting the team. Both points can be true at once.

Inter needed a response and got one, but mostly in the form of grit, recovery running and late defending. After starting the campaign with two defeats, and after a red card turned this into another awkward European night, that was enough for one evening.

FAQ

Why were Inter under so much pressure in the Champions League against Shakhtar Donetsk?

Inter went into the game with 0 points from 2 Champions League matches, after defeats to Real Madrid and Club Brugge. They were also 31st in the table and had lost seven of their previous eight matches in the tournament across this season and last season, which explains why Nicolò Barella said the result mattered more than the performance.

What did Nicolò Barella say about Inter's performance against Shakhtar Donetsk?

Barella said Inter needed the victory more than they needed to play well. In comments quoted by football-italia.net, he admitted the display was not the main issue and said: "Let’s be honest here, we needed this victory. Playing good football is nice too, but what mattered the most today was the result."

Was Alessandro Bastoni's red card against Shakhtar Donetsk deserved?

The reaction from Inter did not settle that completely. Carlos Augusto said he did not know if the two yellow cards were deserved, while Cristian Chivu said Bastoni was provoked but still had a lapse in concentration. What is clear is that Bastoni received two yellow cards in quick succession and Inter had to protect the result with 10 men.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →