Bastoni says Inter must beat Shakhtar to keep a top-eight Champions League finish realistic
Alessandro Bastoni said Inter must beat Shakhtar Donetsk or a top-eight finish in the Champions League league phase becomes prohibitive. The defender also blamed most of the goals conceded on Inter's own errors, a day before kickoff at San Siro.
Alessandro Bastoni was blunt about Wednesday’s game against Shakhtar Donetsk at San Siro. Asked whether this game carried different weight, he said Inter are obliged to get a result. He spoke alongside Cristian Chivu at the Inter Training Center on the day before the Matchday 3 league phase fixture.
The table explains the urgency. Clubs ranked 9th to 24th go into the knockout phase play-offs, and clubs ranked 25th to 36th are eliminated, according to UEFA.
Bastoni also played down the club’s ambitions. He called the Champions League a dream, as it was in the two seasons Inter reached the final. He said he had never described it as an objective, and that Inter would take the chance if it came. In what he called a personal view, he said time has passed since those finals. The team, he added, needs to get its feet back on the ground.
Bastoni traces Inter’s European problems to their own errors
The defender was just as direct about the defending. Inter have talked about the goals they concede a lot, he said, and will be more focused on Wednesday. He put the problem down to a lack of perception of danger, not complacency.
The two defeats are consistent with that reading. At the Bernabéu, Inter started well but gave away goals to Mbappé and Valverde through mistakes in possession. Carlos Augusto scored Inter’s only goal late in the game.
The Brugge game was wilder. Nicolò Tresoldi scored a hat-trick, starting with a 30th-minute penalty and adding goals in the 63rd and 74th minutes. Lautaro scored in the 44th and 82nd minutes. Vermant made it four for Brugge in the 87th minute. Bonny’s goal for Inter came in the 93rd minute.
Chivu takes responsibility as Inter prepare without Lautaro
Chivu struck a different tone from his defender. He said he always takes responsibility for what he could do better. He wants his players to understand how important the game is. He also wants them to enjoy themselves when things get difficult, to understand those moments and to react.
That balance will now be tested. Inter will need their goals to come from elsewhere.
Shakhtar are the next test. Kickoff at San Siro is at 21:00 on Wednesday, October 21, 2026.
Further reading
Chivu and Bastoni's press conference LIVE (Inter)
Champions League league phase standings: How teams level on points are separated (UEFA)
LIVE – Bastoni: "La Champions è un sogno, non siamo più la squadra delle finali" (FcInterNews)
Inter, Bastoni: “We talked about our mistakes. We have too little awareness of danger and need to improve” (Goal)
San Siro: Daniel from Glasgow, United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
