Inter Milan hold off Shakhtar Donetsk to claim first Champions League win

Inter Milan secured their first victory in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk at San Siro on Wednesday.

The Italian side played the final stages with 10 men after Alessandro Bastoni was sent off in the 68th minute, but Carlos Augusto scored nine minutes later to settle a tense contest.

Inter had lost their opening two European matches and needed a response in front of their home supporters. However, Shakhtar created a number of threatening situations during a closely fought first half without finding a way past the hosts.

The visitors continued to pose a danger after the break, while Inter struggled to impose themselves on the game. Their situation became more difficult when Bastoni was shown two yellow cards in quick succession, leaving Simone Inzaghi’s side to defend with a player fewer for the closing stages.

Despite the setback, Inter produced the decisive moment in the 77th minute. Henrikh Mkhitaryan released Carlos Augusto into space behind the Shakhtar defence, and the Brazilian advanced before beating goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk.

Shakhtar pushed for an equaliser as the match entered its final minutes, but Inter goalkeeper Josep Martinez made two important interventions. He first kept out a shot from Newerton, then denied Matviienko from the corner that followed.

The result allowed Inter Milan to revive their European campaign after their difficult start. Their next fixture is in Serie A against Fiorentina.

Shakhtar Donetsk must now recover quickly before their upcoming meeting with Zorya Louhansk.