Inter got the decisive moment from Carlos Augusto, who scored in the 77th minute against Shakhtar Donetsk. Alessandro Bastoni then put the night on edge with two yellow cards between the 21st and 24th minute of the second half, before his dismissal after the reaction gesture on Matviyenko.
Carlos Augusto keeps finding the finish
This was another reminder that Carlos Augusto is not just filling space on the left side for Inter. He had 1 Champions League goal before this match, and the 77th-minute strike moved that number on again. Across all competitions, he now has 3 goals in 6 appearances, which is a decent return for a player whose value is usually discussed first in defensive and structural terms.
Bastoni's dismissal and Inter's tension
Bastoni's red card changed the mood around the game immediately. He picked up his two bookings in the space of three minutes, then left Inter a man down after the reaction gesture on Matviyenko. The timing was especially awkward for Inter, because they had arrived with 0 points from 2 Champions League matches and 4 goals scored, 6 conceded. Shakhtar Donetsk had come in unbeaten, with 4 points from their opening two European games, so this was already the sort of night where a single error could tilt the balance.
The Inter vs Shakhtar Donetsk match was also set up in a 3-5-2 against a 4-5-1, and that shape battle made control fragile once the cards started flying. Dmytro Riznyk and the rest of Shakhtar's back line had plenty to deal with before the dismissal, but Bastoni's absence gave Inter a far tougher finish than they wanted. Carlos Augusto's strike will take the headlines, yet the red card nearly took the whole evening away from them.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
