Inter beat Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 despite Bastoni red card as Carlos Augusto strikes
Carlos Augusto sinks Shakhtar to give Inter desperately needed win
Carlos Augusto struck against the run of play to give 10-man Inter a desperately needed 1-0 Champions League victory over Shakhtar Donetsk at San Siro, after Alessandro Bastoni was shown a red card in the 68th minute.
Inter arrived at the match under pressure, having lost both of their previous games to Real Madrid and Club Brugge. They were also dealing with a long injury list: Lautaro Martinez, Curtis Jones, John Stones and Benjamin Pavard were all unavailable, with the Milan derby coming up at the weekend. Ange-Yoan Bonny was chosen up front, Bastoni was shifted into the centre of a back three, and Djed Spence made his first start.
Shakhtar Donetsk came into the game unbeaten in the Champions League this season, having drawn 1-1 away at PSV Eindhoven and beaten AEK Athens 3-1.
Early chances and a nervy first half
Inter had the first clear sights of goal. Petar Sucic intercepted a wayward pass from Oleh Ocheretko to set up Marcus Thuram, whose angled drive was tipped round the post in the opening minutes. Hakan Calhanoglu also drilled just wide, while Bonny stung the goalkeeper's gloves after controlling a floated pass from Manuel Akanji.
Shakhtar grew into the match as the half went on. Alisson Santana probably was offside when he failed to connect with a through ball, and Pedrinho limped off with a muscular injury, forcing a change. Kaua Elias robbed a rusty Spence on the edge of the area, and Josep Martinez had to claw a Valeriy Bondar header off the line. Ocheretko also drilled an effort inches wide from 10 yards as the visitors ended the half the stronger side and continued that way after the restart.
Bastoni's dismissal
Inter's frustration boiled over in the second half. When Alisson Santana performed a cheeky trick, clasping the ball between his feet and jumping away from Federico Dimarco, Thuram reacted angrily by bringing him down and was booked for the scuffle.
Cristian Chivu made a triple change on the hour mark, and it sparked a response, with a Thuram curler again tipped round the post on the counter-attack. However, Bastoni then picked up two yellow cards in the space of two minutes, both for tussles with opponents: first with Alisson Santana, then for a shove on Ocheretko after a corner, leaving Inter with ten men.
Mkhitaryan turns provider and Carlos Augusto finishes
Down to 10 men and with Shakhtar pushing, Inter instead took the lead. Substitute Henrikh Mkhitaryan made an immediate impact against his former club, launching a pass from the centre circle to release Carlos Augusto. He knocked the ball down with his chest, drew out the goalkeeper and flicked the finish under him with the outside of his boot from 14 yards in the 77th minute.
Inter could have doubled their lead on 84 minutes when Thuram shrugged off his marker and rolled across for Mkhitaryan, but the veteran's heavy first touch let him down and he could only drag the chance wide. Josep Martinez then made two big saves in quick succession: he fingertipped a deflected Newertton strike round the base of the near post, and acrobatically denied a Mykola Matviyenko header from close range.
The win lifts Inter out of trouble, but the manner of the performance leaves questions about discipline as they prepare for the Milan derby.