Cristian Chivu shoulders the blame as Inter’s mental demons are exposed in seven-goal Brugge thriller

Inter’s European campaign has hit a significant stumbling block after a chaotic 4-3 defeat to Club Brugge left them reeling in the Champions League group stage. The result marks a second consecutive continental loss for the Nerazzurri, sparking concerns over their defensive stability and mental fortitude. Chivu pointed to a fundamental lack of equilibrium within the squad as the primary reason for the collapse.

"In Champions League, we are aware that something is wrong, there is something we carry with us, but I am the first one responsible because I cannot find the right balance," he told Sky Sport Italia.

The match itself was a rollercoaster of emotions, featuring high intensity and a constant trade of blows between the two sides. Inter showed resilience to stay in the contest during the opening 45 minutes, but they were eventually undone by a mixture of technical errors and a lack of defensive organisation. The inability to track back during transitions proved fatal against a clinical Brugge attack.

"It was a good first half from both us and them, with intensity. We did the right things, then we conceded a counter-attack from a corner: a few unfavorable episodes where we could have been more organized. We managed to get back into the game, equalizing before the interval, and in the second half we started well with two important goal opportunities, then a bit of frustration and frenzy made us lose our distances. We went forward and forgot to come back, we were always late and in the Champions League you pay for this," Chivu explained.

Chivu’s analysis suggests that the issues facing Inter are as much psychological as they are tactical. The manager noted that once the scoreline shifted to 2-1, the team lost all sense of composure, abandoning the pre-match instructions in favour of a desperate and disorganized search for a way back into the game.

"From 2-1 everything went out of gear, without having the clarity to maintain calm for what was the game plan, but credit also to Bruges who, due to technical quality, intensity and determination, put us in a lot of difficulty," Chivu admitted.

Despite the setback, Chivu remains adamant that Inter can still salvage their Champions League campaign, provided they address their recurring flaws. With six matches remaining in the group stage, there is still time to climb the table, but the margin for error has narrowed considerably following this latest home defeat.

"There is a lot to do and work on a tactical level and also from a mental point of view, where you need to find the right attitude. Perhaps what we had prepared could have been done better, perhaps I should have conveyed more serenity at halftime without loading them too much. We must improve but not lose all the confidence we have in ourselves; certain moments of the match must be interpreted better," Chivu concluded.