Inter Milan secured their first victory in the 2026/2027 UEFA Champions League campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk at the San Siro on Wednesday, despite finishing the match with 10 men.
Carlos Augusto scored the decisive goal in the 77th minute, giving the Italian side all three points in their third league-phase fixture.
Inter had to withstand sustained pressure from the Ukrainian visitors after defender Alessandro Bastoni was sent off in the 69th minute for receiving two yellow cards within three minutes.
The hosts started brightly, with Marcus Thuram and Ange-Yoan Bonny testing Shakhtar goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk in the opening stages.
However, the goalkeeper produced several impressive saves to keep his side in contention.
Shakhtar gradually grew into the game and threatened towards the end of the first half.
Their best opportunity came in the 40th minute when goalkeeper Josep Martinez produced an excellent save to deny a header from Bondar following a corner.
Inter maintained their search for a breakthrough after the restart, with manager Cristian Chivu introducing fresh players in the 59th minute to inject more energy into the attack.
However, Bastoni’s dismissal six minutes later forced the hosts to reorganise and defend with a numerical disadvantage.
Despite being reduced to 10 players, Inter found the breakthrough in the 77th minute.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan delivered an accurate pass into Carlos Augusto’s path, allowing the Brazilian to beat his marker before slotting the ball past Riznyk.
Shakhtar attempted to respond, and Newerton appeared to have equalised two minutes later. However, his effort was ruled out for offside.
Martinez then proved crucial to Inter’s victory, making two important saves in the closing stages.
He first turned away Newerton’s low effort in the 88th minute before reacting quickly to deny Matviyenko’s header.
Inter also missed an opportunity to extend their lead when Thuram set up Mkhitaryan in the 84th minute, but the Armenian midfielder failed to find the target.
The victory gives Inter a valuable boost in their bid to progress in Europe’s premier club competition, while Shakhtar will rue their inability to capitalise on their numerical advantage in the closing stages.
Inter’s next fixture is a Serie A meeting with Fiorentina on October 25, while Shakhtar are scheduled to face Zorya in the Ukrainian Premier League on October 24.
