Cristi Chivu says mental scars from defeats affected Inter in narrow win over Șahtior

Inter Milano secured a 1-0 victory over Șahtior Donețk in the Champions League group stage on Wednesday evening. The match was marked by a red card and a late winner, leaving the Italian side with a hard-fought three points.

Alessandro Bastoni was sent off in the 68th minute, forcing Inter to play with ten men for the remainder of the game. Despite the numerical disadvantage, the home side managed to hold their defensive shape and find a breakthrough late in the contest.

Carlos Augusto scored the decisive goal in the 77th minute. His strike came in the last quarter of an hour, providing the margin of victory for Inter after a tense period of play following the dismissal of Bastoni.

Head coach Cristian Chivu explained that the team’s performance was influenced by previous results. He stated that defeats against Real Madrid and Club Brugge in the Champions League had created a mental block and negatively impacted player confidence.

Chivu credited his substitutions with changing the dynamic of the match. He noted that the fresh players provided the necessary energy and intensity to secure the win despite playing with a reduced squad for a significant portion of the game.

The coaching decision regarding the defensive line drew attention during post-match analysis. Paolo Di Canio questioned Chivu about fielding two left-footed center-backs, Bastoni and Carlos Augusto, alongside the right-footed Akanji.

Chivu responded that he had only three available center-backs due to injuries. He also mentioned that he had chosen to rest Bisseck, which limited his options for the central defense in this fixture.

The Inter manager publicly supported goalkeeper Pepo Martinez after his performance faced criticism. Chivu also praised the professionalism shown by Henrikh Mkhitaryan and goalscorer Carlos Augusto during the difficult match.

Cristi Chivu is in his first season as the head coach of Inter. He won the league title in his debut campaign, becoming one of only five coaches in the club's 118-year history to win the Italian championship in their first year.

In addition to the league title, the team led by Chivu also won the Cup in his first season. This recent victory over Șahtior adds to the club's ongoing European campaign under his leadership.