Inter's Champions League campaign has started with a painful lesson. A 2-1 defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu was not a reflection of the quality Cristian Chivu's side showed across 90 minutes, but individual errors at the highest level carry consequences, and three of them proved decisive. The mistakes from Jones, Bisseck and goalkeeper Josep Martinez gifted Real Madrid a 2-0 lead that Inter could not fully overturn, despite Carlos Augusto pulling one back and the team creating enough chances to have won the match.

The result has immediately raised questions about Martinez's position between the posts. Reports linking Ivan Provedel to a starting role against Udinese began circulating the morning after the defeat, and Chivu now faces a genuine selection dilemma heading into Monday's Serie A fixture at San Siro. John Stones, who impressed after coming on as a substitute at the Bernabeu, is pushing for a starting place in defence.

Despite the European setback, Inter's domestic position remains strong. The club sits third in Serie A with nine points from three games, buoyed by a dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Napoli just days before the Madrid trip. The visit of Udinese on September 14 offers a chance to restore confidence, though history offers a warning: it was Udinese who inflicted a damaging home defeat on Inter at exactly this stage last season.