Barella: "We gave everything we had"
First Team
— 2 hours agoThe Nerazzurri midfielder's post-match comments following the Champions League clash with Shakhtar, alongside Josep Martinez and Manuel Akanji
A match that became a battle of intensity, physical duels and relentless running, with Inter determined to give everything until the final whistle to secure a crucial victory. Wearing the captain's armband, Nicolò Barella led by example, putting everything into helping the Nerazzurri claim their first win of this Champions League campaign. Even in the closing stages, he was still chasing down opponents, winning possession and working tirelessly to keep the ball away from Inter's goal. He combined composure in possession with tenacity in the tackle, showing determination and leadership throughout.
Here is what he had to say after the final whistle against Shakhtar:
“We struggled a bit at the start. We were tense, and the fact that we hadn't won in the Champions League yet was weighing on our minds. We didn't play our best football, but what mattered was winning, no matter how. When we went down to ten men, we had our backs against the wall, but we gave everything we had and then some. We need to improve the way we start games and show a bit more aggression. Anything can happen in the Champions League, and there are situations where we need to be more focused. Mkhitaryan? I think he's like a fine wine, he gets better with age. I can only praise him and thank him. He was used to starting every game, but even now that he's playing less, he still makes a huge difference whenever he comes on and always manages to give his best.”
Nicolò Barella
A display of defensive resilience, a first clean sheet in Europe and a hard-fought victory built in part on the strength of Inter's back line. Manuel Akanji delivered a commanding performance, combining physicality, determination and experience with real authority.
Here is what he had to say after the match:
“It wasn't easy today. We decided not to press too high up the pitch because we didn't want to give our opponents too many chances. We focused more on keeping things tight defensively. The sending-off? I don't understand how the referee could have shown two yellow cards. It could have changed the course of the game, but we fought together as a team and showed great character. Even with ten men, we created chances to score a second goal. Those are the little things that show the spirit of this team. We knew we had to respond after our first two games, especially the last one, when we conceded goals and gave away chances. Today, though, we did a good job, and we knew how important it was to win to keep moving forward. I think sometimes we need to be smarter about limiting our opponents and preventing chances. We can't always press high and leave ourselves exposed. Sometimes we need to let the opposition come forward and then find ways to hurt them.”
Josep Martinez came to Inter's rescue time and again. The Spanish goalkeeper played a decisive role in the Nerazzurri's first Champions League win of the season, producing three crucial saves. In the first half, he tipped away a header from Bondar before showing lightning-fast reflexes to keep out another header that bounced just in front of him, almost on the goal line.With Inter defending their slender lead deep into the closing stages, Martinez produced two outstanding saves in the space of a minute. First, he reacted brilliantly to keep out Newertton's powerful right-footed effort at the near post, before denying Matviyenko's header from the resulting corner.
Here is what he told Inter TV after the final whistle:
“I'm happy for the team. This was a really important game for us after failing to pick up any points from our first two matches. Winning like this with ten men means so much. Not every team could have pulled it off. Shakhtar are a very good side and played well, but this was a hugely important victory for us. I always try to do my part to help the team, and I want to praise my teammates for the maturity they showed on the pitch. We showed humility, resilience and a determination never to give up. This was exactly the kind of win we needed. Today, all that mattered was getting the three points.”
Josep Martinez