Overview
- Alessandro Bastoni publicly demanded a “significant response” on Tuesday and warned Inter must win to keep realistic hopes of progressing in the Champions League.
- Italian media, citing Gazzetta dello Sport and relayed by Goal, report coach Cristian Chivu is considering moving Bastoni into the centre of a three-man defence with Manuel Akanji and Carlos Augusto and leaving Nikola Bisseck out, but the change has not been confirmed by the club.
- Inter’s defensive form is the immediate driver of the debate: the team has conceded 15 goals in nine matches and lost seven of their last eight games in European competition.
- Chivu has defended his selections and said the side must find a better balance between pressing and taking risks, while injuries to key players have limited his options for rotation this week.
- Despite a seven-match unbeaten record against Shakhtar in past meetings and six clean sheets in those games, the sequence of recent results has made Tuesday’s match a must-win to keep qualification realistic and could reshape selection and morale ahead of weekend fixtures.