Kivu says Inter showed resilience to overcome Shakhtar Donetsk in Champions League

Inter manager Cristian Kivu said his side had to accept suffering and fight until the final whistle to secure a 1-0 Champions League victory over Shakhtar Donetsk.

Inter played with 10 men after Alessandro Bastoni was sent off for two yellow cards shown in quick succession. Carlos Augusto then scored the decisive goal in the 77th minute, converting Henrik Mkhitaryan’s pass after the goalkeeper had advanced from his line.

The result ended a difficult run in the competition for Inter, who had lost seven of their previous eight Champions League matches and had also been beaten in their opening two games of the current campaign.

“I think our Champions League results over the past year and a half have left their mark, and that was visible in the first half,” Kivu told Sky Sport Italia.

“Our start was not bad, but as the match went on we became slightly anxious about maintaining our organisation against a team with quality and the ability to pass the ball well.

“We dropped back a little, but after making three substitutions we recovered some energy, movement and the right runs.”

Inter were reduced to 10 players after Bastoni’s dismissal, but Kivu felt that the setback brought an extra level of commitment from his team.

“After that we played with 10 men and managed to produce something extra that we had been missing,” he said. “We fought and understood that we had to give everything to remain united.

“Your performance does not always have to be beautiful to produce results. Sometimes you need heart, mentality and a willingness to make an extra effort. That is what the players did tonight.”

Kivu said he needed to manage his squad carefully during a demanding schedule that sees Inter play every three days.

“Every player is important, and we know the season is long and that we have a match every three days,” he said. “We need players with energy to maintain our level.

“Sometimes experience can be enough to achieve a positive result if a game is not played at a high intensity. But you cannot do that in the Champions League. You have to run quickly, think quickly and have the confidence to carry out certain actions.

“We were ready to suffer tonight, and I think that is what we had been missing before.”

Kivu also explained his defensive selections. Bastoni played in the centre of a back three, with Carlos Augusto on the left and Manuel Akanji on the right.

“At the moment we have only three central defenders, as well as Carlos Augusto if we need him,” he said. “We planned to circulate the ball to break through their compact back four, while giving Akanji a greater role in his positioning and making use of Augusto’s movement.

“We were concerned about Shakhtar Donetsk’s ability to counter-attack and move in behind our defensive line. That is why we also chose Spence, to benefit from his speed and his ability to cover quick movements from the wide players.”

Kivu added that Inter were also trying to manage injury problems, while giving Bisseck a rest after he played his third match in a short period.

“We are trying to adapt to the problems and injuries,” he said. “We have to make the right decisions and find the balance while the other players recover.”

The victory gave Inter their first three points of the Champions League campaign and moved them into 20th place. Shakhtar suffered their first defeat of the competition this season and remain on four points in 17th.