Inter have finally got their Champions League campaign off the ground, beating Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 at San Siro after losing their opening two group games. The victory was hard-earned in the truest sense. Alessandro Bastoni was sent off before the 70th minute, leaving Cristian Chivu's side to see out the match a man down. They did it through Carlos Augusto, whose second-half goal, set up by Mkhitaryan, proved decisive. It was the kind of result that says as much about character as quality, and Chivu acknowledged afterwards that the win was deserved despite the difficult circumstances.

The three points matter beyond the scoreline. Inter had gone into the game under real pressure after consecutive defeats to Real Madrid and Club Brugge, and the squad had to respond without injured captain Lautaro Martinez. They did, and goalkeeper Josep Martinez earned considerable credit after a difficult start to the season. Carlos Augusto, meanwhile, is emerging as one of Chivu's most reliable performers, with his growing influence now prompting questions about Federico Dimarco's place in the starting lineup.

The injury list remains a concern. Lautaro Martinez, Benjamin Pavard, John Stones, Curtis Jones and Luis Henrique are all unavailable, which stretches the squad heading into a busy run of fixtures. Inter sit second in Serie A and host Fiorentina on Sunday, with Chivu expected to rotate and hand Pio Esposito a chance to start alongside Thuram.