At 03:00 CET on October 14, Inter Milan will host Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League group stage matchday 2. Before the match, M. Akanji, Inter Milan's defender, attended a press conference.

Hi Manu, my question is: how important are the next two Champions League matches, particularly the home game, for achieving your objectives — I'm not sure if the players have set their own point target — or the 16 points the coach has set as the target to advance to the knockout stage?

Yes, it's very important. But first, we need to focus on tomorrow's game. We can't be thinking about Shakhtar Donetsk right now, because the most important game is always the next one. That's tomorrow's match against Club Brugge. And yes, it's very clear that our goal is to reach the knockout stage, and to do that, we need to start winning. Hopefully we can do that starting tomorrow.

Hi Manuel, compared to last season, which was your first season with the team, do you feel the team has more commitment and determination to pursue the dream of winning the Champions League? Because looking at the club's transfer activity this summer, it seems like winning the Champions League this season is no longer just a distant dream, right?

To be honest, I can't really remember who our group stage opponents were last season. There are so many games that it's hard to keep track. But yes, our goal is to advance directly by finishing in the top eight. We'll have to wait and see what happens. We need to focus on playing well in every game.

And yes, the team is always changing. Our squad has changed compared to last season, so yes, everything is new. We have our first home Champions League game this season in front of our fans, and our only loss so far has been in the Champions League. So yes, now is a good time to get our first Champions League win.

Hi, I'll follow up on that. Some comments you made after the Swiss national team match have reached Italy — you said that Inter Milan's goal this season is to win everything, or at least do better than last season. I'd like to know what gives you such strong confidence that the team can perform well even in the highest competitions — like the pinnacle of the Champions League?

Yes, I think so. I feel we've done very well so far. In the league, we've only drawn once, right? And we've won all the other games. So we're feeling very confident.

We have a bigger squad, and I'd say the team has more depth now. So in many positions, as we've seen in recent matches, we can make substitutions and the players who come on perform excellently. So I hope this will help us in the Champions League as well.

Most importantly, everyone needs to stay healthy so we have a complete and fully available squad, because only then can we show greater strength and support each other on the pitch. So yes, I'm very confident for this season.

Hi Manuel, you were a key player and starter at Manchester City. I'd like to ask if you have any thoughts or understanding about what's currently happening in England. Have you stayed in touch with your former teammates? What do you really think about all of it?

Yes, I still keep in touch with some friends at Manchester City, but clearly I'm not too worried about what's happening there. All my focus is on Inter Milan here. And yes, I've seen all the developments you see in the news reports about what might happen next. So I don't know what will ultimately happen, but I hope I can maintain my position. For me, that's what matters most.

Hi Manuel, have you had a chance to message Sommer recently? I don't know, maybe some friendly banter like "I'm going to score on you tomorrow" or something like that?

Yes, I spoke with him a couple of days ago. Tomorrow, during the 90 minutes of the match, we won't be friends anymore. But that's football. He's still a good friend of mine. But yes, tomorrow the only rule is to win the game. And hopefully we can do that.

Hi, this is your second season at Inter Milan. Now that you're familiar with the overall environment here and the head coach, how have the entire team grown and developed compared to last season? And on this season's journey, what aspect gives you the most optimism about future prospects?

Yes, this is my second year here, and like the coach, I think so far we're feeling pretty good. But the season is just beginning, so we'll have to wait and see what happens. But it's clear that our goal is to go much further in the Champions League than last season. Last season we were knocked out too early. But I think in the domestic Italian competitions, we've consistently performed excellently. We won two domestic titles, and I hope we can repeat that success this season. Then we'll wait and see what ultimately happens in the Champions League.

Hi everyone, considering that you lost to Real Madrid in the first match, do you already feel that the upcoming matches are so crucial that you can't afford to lose if you want to reach the Round of 16?

No, I won't go into the match thinking "we can't do this again." Even if we don't win tomorrow, we still have six more games in the group stage, and we have a chance to win them all. But obviously our goal is to win at home, in front of our fans. And yes, that's the mindset we're taking into this match. We'll try our best to win, and then we'll see what happens after 90 minutes.

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