Inter Struggles Defensively Despite Lautaro Martinez's Brace in 3-4 Loss to Club Brugge

Inter suffered a painful 3-4 loss at San Siro as their defense collapsed, overshadowing a fine brace from Lautaro Martinez. Despite dominating possession and taking more shots, the visitors capitalized on Inter’s defensive lapses with Nicolo Tresoldi scoring a hat-trick and Romeo Vermant sealing the win late.

The match started cautiously, but Club Brugge took the lead with a penalty by Tresoldi in the 30th minute. Inter responded just before halftime when Federico Dimarco assisted Martinez to equalize at 1-1. The Nerazzurri controlled 53% of the ball but struggled to stop Brugge’s quick transitions.

The second half saw chaos for Inter. Tresoldi scored two more goals at 63 and 74 minutes, both set up by Carlos Forbs, giving the visitors a commanding 3-1 lead. Martinez pulled one back in the 81st minute, briefly sparking hope, but Vermant’s goal in the 87th minute put the game out of reach. Substitute Ange-Yoan Bonny scored a late consolation in stoppage time, but Inter’s defensive weaknesses were exposed again, leaving them pointless after two Champions League games.

Goalkeeper & Defence

• J. Martinez: 4/10 – Faced eight shots on target, conceded four goals. Made some saves but lacked authority during frantic second-half moments.
• Y. Bisseck: 5/10 – Showed attacking intent but was caught out during quick counters. Physical presence insufficient to steady defense.
• M. Akanji: 4/10 – A tough night with a yellow card and poor positioning that allowed Tresoldi to exploit gaps repeatedly.
• A. Bastoni: 5/10 – Best at advancing play from the back but left exposed as Brugge attacked behind the wing-backs.
• F. Dimarco: 6/10 – Threatened going forward and set up the first goal but his defense suffered, leading to a substitution after a tiring effort.

Midfield

• P. Zielinski: 5/10 – Efficient ball movement but inadequate in shielding defense; midfield too open to Brugge’s attacks.
• A. Diouf: 5/10 – Tried to bring energy but was often bypassed by clever passes, failing to close key spaces.
• N. Barella: 6/10 – The team’s driving force, fought hard but was subbed as Chivu sought more attacking options.
• H. Calhanoglu: 5/10 – Booked early which limited his aggression; dangerous set-piece delivery but withdrawn as the match slipped away.

Attack

• M. Thuram: 5/10 – Created space for others but lacked sharpness in front of goal with only 12 of 30 shots on target.
• L. Martinez: 8/10 – Inter’s standout player. Scored twice with clinical instinct, the only one who matched Club Brugge’s finishing quality.

Substitutes & Manager

• F. Esposito: 5/10 – Came on but failed to change the team’s disorganized shape.
• P. Sucic: 6/10 – Assisted Martinez’s second goal but couldn’t stabilize midfield.
• D. Spence: 5/10 – Late introduction to add width but minimal impact.
• A. Bonny: 7/10 – Made an immediate difference off the bench, scoring in stoppage time.
• A. Stankovic: 6/10 – Provided the assist for Bonny’s goal in his brief appearance.
• C. Chivu (Manager): 3/10 – Tactical approach failed completely. The defense showed no organization, conceding over 3 xG and three goals from the same duo, indicating no effective in-game adjustments.

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