Inter Milan goalkeeper Josep Martinez produced three vital saves to secure a 1-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk at San Siro. The Spanish shot-stopper hailed his team-mates' resilience after the Nerazzurri held on with ten men following Alessandro Bastoni's red card.
Spanish goalkeeper produces heroics in dramatic European win
Inter Milan goalkeeper Josep Martinez proved decisive as the Nerazzurri claimed their first UEFA Champions League win of the season, beating Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 at San Siro. Carlos Augusto scored the winning goal in the 77th minute following an assist from Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
The victory came under challenging circumstances after defender Alessandro Bastoni received a second yellow card in the 68th minute, leaving Inter with ten men.
Martinez anchored the defensive effort, producing key interventions in both halves to preserve the clean sheet.
Martinez hails squad resilience after crucial clean sheet
Speaking to Inter TV after the match, Martinez expressed delight over the team's ability to grind out a result under intense pressure. "I'm happy for the team; it was a very important match for us after not picking up any points in our first two games," Martinez stated.
"A win like that with a man down is incredibly valuable; it's not something everyone can achieve."
"In terms of humility, hard work, and the desire to never give up, it was a victory we really needed," the Spaniard added.
Chivu praises Martinez and team-wide commitment
Inter head coach Cristian Chivu praised Martinez's contribution while emphasizing the importance of instilling confidence across his entire squad. "I care about all my goalkeepers; they're excellent, and I can't be drastic in passing judgments for errors," Chivu observed.
"The goalkeeper always gets the headlines, but my job is to instill serenity and confidence, to Pepo as well as to the others."
"With ten men, we showed that we know how to suffer, raising our level of concentration and energy," Chivu noted.
Nerazzurri kickstart Champions League campaign
Having secured three vital points, Inter look to build momentum in the Champions League league phase after starting their campaign with consecutive defeats.
The hard-fought win at San Siro provides a significant confidence boost for Chivu's side as they navigate a demanding schedule.
Inter return to domestic action before continuing their European journey against Feyenoord.
A sports journalist with nearly a decade of experience, beginning the professional journey at Indonesia's legendary Tabloid BOLA from 2017 until its final print edition in December 2018. Following that, joining GOAL, contributing as a freelance writer for FIFA, and working within the media department of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). Alongside the journalism career, also active as a live play-by-play commentator for Indonesian football since 2017. Holds a bachelor's degree in History from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung.
Football Story
Footballing identity built on geography, heritage, and childhood obsession. Although the father played for a traditional rival club, nine years living in Bandung made Persib a spiritual home, sparked in 2006 by Thai goalkeeper Kosin Hathairattanakool and witnessing firsthand how deeply locals own the club. Globally, the first true love was Ronaldo and Inter Milan, enduring the heartbreak of near-misses during injury-plagued years. With Dutch roots in Rotterdam, making Feyenoord the club of choice, the Netherlands national team has always remained close to the heart, highlighted by the 2010 World Cup final, a live 2013 friendly against Indonesia, and Oranje Indonesia watch parties. Arjen Robben and Giovanni van Bronckhorst remain ultimate favorites, while Football Manager 2005 sparked a lasting admiration for Athletic Bilbao’s philosophy. Outside football, allegiance lies with the Chicago Bulls and Golden State Warriors through icons like Michael Jordan, Derrick Rose, and Stephen Curry.
Areas of Expertise
Areas of expertise span Indonesian football and Liga 1 data insights and unique features, alongside Southeast Asian and East Asian football landscapes covering Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, and Korea. Additional skills include digital and social media video content creation such as Instagram reels and podcasts, as well as player profiling, feature writing, live broadcasting, interviewing, photography, and multilingual communication in basic français and español .
Favourite Footballing Memory
Combining a passion for backpacking with professional assignments has made it possible to pursue two goals simultaneously. Meeting and interviewing various Indonesian players pursuing careers or currently based abroad, ranging from across Southeast Asia to Europe, has been an absolute privilege and honor. Traveling independently through the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, and Japan to track down and connect with Indonesian players competing abroad remains a truly cherished experience. Crafting interview content with them is a body of work that will always hold a special place in memory.
My All-Time XI
It’s tough to lock down a definitive starting XI, but the non-negotiables are Manuel Neuer or Rogério Ceni in goal; alongside Javier Zanetti, Sergio Ramos, N'Golo Kanté, Toni Kroos, Arjen Robben, Mo Salah, and Zlatan Ibrahimović. Juan Román Riquelme or Michael Laudrup most likely complete the tactical puzzle. While legends like Lothar Matthäus, Zinedine Zidane, and Ronaldo are impossible to overlook, they were left out simply because they feature in everyone else's lineup.
