Barella admits Inter were below their best but says Shakhtar victory was what mattered

Nicolo Barella conceded that Inter did not produce their best performance in their 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League, but said securing three points was the priority after a difficult match played largely with 10 men.

Inter were forced to defend their lead after Alessandro Bastoni was sent off for two yellow cards received within a short period. Carlos Augusto scored the winning goal in the 77th minute, converting an opportunity created by Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

“All UEFA Champions League matches are difficult, and Shakhtar showed that they have quality, speed and the ability to play at a high tempo,” Barella told Sky Sport Italia.

“Let’s be honest, we needed this win. It is also good to play beautiful football, but the most important thing today was the result. I don’t know how much we deserved to win, but we will accept it.”

Barella wore the Inter captain’s armband in the absence of the injured Lautaro Martinez and acknowledged the scale of the challenge his side faced after Bastoni’s dismissal.

“When you find yourself in a difficult situation, you have to do something,” he said. “Playing with 10 men is a major disadvantage in modern football, but Shakhtar pushed forward logically in search of a win and we were able to make the most of one counter-attack.”

The midfielder also suggested that the pressure created by Inter’s need for a victory may have contributed to their slow start.

Inter’s ambitions in the competition remain high despite Barella’s assessment that the team have yet to reach their best level.

“The UEFA Champions League is a target we have been pursuing in recent years,” he said. “The standard is extremely high and winning the trophy is a dream, but dreams can be turned into targets.”

He added: “We know that we are not producing our best performances in this competition, but we will try to give everything we have with the ability at our disposal.”

Shakhtar Donetsk had begun the match unbeaten in the UEFA Champions League this season. They had drawn 1-1 with PSV Eindhoven and beaten AEK Athens 3-1 before suffering their first defeat against Inter.

The result gave Inter their first three points and their first victory of the competition, moving them into 20th place.

Shakhtar’s defeat was their first in this season’s UEFA Champions League and left them with four points in 17th position.