After Inter Milan's 3-4 home defeat to Club Brugge in the second matchday of the Champions League group stage, Sky Sport Italia spoke with Inter manager Simone Inzaghi.

A very unusual match. Both teams managed to score many goals. The main problem was that Brugge troubled us when they pressed forward. We started well and created many scoring opportunities, but I feel the team as a whole was a bit sloppy. Do you agree with this assessment?

In my opinion, the first half was good for both teams. It had physical intensity throughout, and we executed our tactical approach correctly. However, in the second half we suffered from counterattacks from the wing. That was unfortunate. We could have been more organized defensively. We managed to readjust and regain control of the match, scoring another goal before halftime.

After the start of the second half, we also began well and created two important scoring chances, but unfortunately we couldn't convert them into goals. After that, frustration and impatience crept into the team, and I believe this mental state disrupted our proper positioning on the pitch and broke our tactical balance.

From the moment Brugge went ahead 2-1, the match completely derailed from its natural rhythm. We lacked sufficient clarity and composure, and we couldn't stick to our tactical plan precisely. In addition, we must give credit to Club Brugge. Their individual quality, intensity, and determination to win created many difficulties for us in the match.

One notable point: we often talk about Inter's excellent attacking capability and goal-scoring record. However, we must also pay attention to the goals we've conceded. Now the team has conceded 14 goals across all matches. Does this statistic concern you?

I can't say I'm not concerned. It's clear that we have areas that require serious review, especially in a competition like the Champions League. In the Champions League, if you fall behind, it's very difficult to recover and catch up. That's because of the high level of the other teams involved, their individual quality, the quick transition between attack and defense, and their ability to exploit specific match situations. However, right now we need to focus on maintaining our tactical balance, pressing intensity, winning second balls, and applying high pressure while keeping our proper positional shape. In summary, we need to improve, and we've known this for a long time.

My final question on this matter is: Your recent Champions League results have been disappointing. This is now your second defeat. Inter currently sits with zero points and in a difficult position, forced to win all remaining matches. This Champions League record is concerning. However, how can you turn this poor record around? According to statistics, in Inter's last eight Champions League matches, the team won only one and lost seven.

Yes, we know well what went wrong in the Champions League. We're trying to improve at every level, including the mental aspect. It's possible that past mental pressure or hidden dangers affected us. The main responsibility rests with me. In some matches, I couldn't find the right tactical balance to help the team. We'll continue with our planned training, but everyone must maintain belief and look firmly ahead because six matches still remain.

Compared to everyone's expectations and what we wanted to see, there's no denying that two Champions League defeats are painful. You're right. Last season our Champions League campaign also ended in defeats. If I remember correctly, we recently only beat Dortmund. We have much work and adjustments to make tactically. For that, the main responsibility is mine. At the same time, we must recover our mentality, tactical balance, and proper approach in the scheduled matches.

Looking back at this match, it seemed like one team was running everywhere on the pitch while the other looked like they were walking. Especially in the second half. This contrast was even more pronounced in the second half. We must make significant effort to address this. When we lose possession, the midfield needs to provide more cover and defense needs more focus.

That's exactly what I said before. There's no need to look back at the record. After we missed two clear scoring chances at the start of the second half, I immediately felt from the bench that we had lost control of the match. Frustration and desperation took over; we lost intensity, and the entire team pressed very high without timing the ball recovery well. Yes. It involved frustration and loss of tactical balance. Our shape became too stretched, distances between players too large, and pressing decisions became wrong. We gave the opponent too much time and space to play and move. We never matched their pressing intensity. We were always one step behind, and in the Champions League that carries a heavy price.

We have much work to do. We must improve and address the defined problems. Let me repeat: the main responsibility is mine. I could have done better with my pre-match tactical preparations. Perhaps at halftime I should have given the players a calmer message about how to approach the second half without burdening them mentally. In the Champions League, we need exact balance, appropriate intensity, and ruthless, clear decisions to convert chances into goals. Sometimes we're too focused on our objectives this season. Perhaps we really need to make changes.

Christian, I want to talk about the fundamental difference between Serie A and European competitions. In European competitions, these aren't the traditional top clubs, but teams with their own history—like Bodø/Glimt last season or Club Brugge today—can concede many goals but, as you said, they managed to go ahead, and even when trailing 2-1, Lautaro had two chances in a row to go ahead. The scoreline could have been 6-5 or even 6-4. But that doesn't change the mentality and approach of the opponents we face. That's the fundamental difference between the Champions League and our domestic league.

Absolutely, you're completely right. European competitions are fundamentally different in intensity and technical quality. However, it's our responsibility to find the proper tactical balance when implementing our defined strategies. We must always remember that even small mistakes in the Champions League lead to major defeats. That's because these matches depend on details, critical moments that pass quickly. We must have sufficient composure and clarity, maintain proper patience, and not lose our technical advantages and strengths. We must improve. There's much work to do. We must never lose confidence and momentum. However, at certain critical moments in the match, we must better understand and react appropriately. Sometimes due to pitch width and large distances between players, we can't implement our high pressing effectively because we're always one step behind. From this perspective, we must build the right mentality and properly understand and respond to the various important phases of the match.

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