Overview
- Inter were beaten 4-3 at San Siro by Club Brugge on Tuesday after Nicolò Tresoldi scored a hat-trick, leaving Cristian Chivu’s side with zero points from their first two group matches.
- Napoli lost 3-1 to Villarreal at the Estadio de la Cerámica after an early Amir Rrahmani goal was overturned following a short retropass from Matteo Politano that led to the equaliser and a subsequent turnaround.
- Villarreal were without first-choice keeper Peter Gulacsi after the club said he was shaken by an armed robbery at his home the same morning, a development that forced a change in goal for the hosts.
- Both coaches publicly cited tactical and mental failings with Chivu accepting primary responsibility for Inter’s performance and Massimiliano Allegri criticising Napoli’s lack of balance and costly errors.
- The two defeats put Inter and Napoli in a precarious position in their groups, raise immediate selection and rotation questions given a congested domestic schedule, and spotlight Tresoldi’s breakout performance and his international future.