Inter are showing they can win without their captain, but the bigger picture around the club remains complicated. The 3-1 victory at Bologna, reported across multiple GOAL pieces, was exactly the response Cristian Chivu needed after the damaging home defeat to Club Brugge in the Champions League. Goals from Thuram, Carlos Augusto and substitute Bonny completed another comeback, with the nerazzurri going behind before finding a higher gear. It keeps Inter top of Serie A, three points clear of Roma after seven games.

The concern is what comes next, and who is available to face it. Lautaro Martinez will miss several weeks with a muscular injury, as confirmed by GOAL's injury coverage, and Benjamin Pavard is also sidelined with a similar problem. Those absences put pressure on the squad's depth, though Ange-Yoan Bonny is emerging as a genuine option in attack. GOAL's post-match analysis suggests Bonny has now moved ahead of Pio Esposito in Chivu's thinking, with the forward scoring in consecutive matches.

Another subplot worth watching is Carlos Augusto. His cameo at Bologna underlined his growing importance as a substitute, with GOAL noting his numbers this season mirror those Dimarco produced in his best form. With Shakhtar Donetsk visiting the Giuseppe Meazza in the Champions League on 21 October, Chivu needs contributions from exactly these kinds of players.