Youth League: Carrara not enough for Inter as Club Brugge hold them to a 1 - 1 draw

Inter and Club Brugge drew 1-1 at the KONAMI Women & Talent Center, as Bigica’s side claimed their first point in the 2026/27 Youth League after an impressive performance that deserved more. Carrara’s goal after just 26 seconds gave Inter an immediate lead, and the Nerazzurri created several chances in the first half, particularly thanks to El Mahboubi and Vukaj, who was denied by a superb save from Kestemont. Breda’s header against the crossbar summed up Inter’s misfortune in the opening 45 minutes. After the break, Inter dropped the tempo without facing too many problems, but Club Brugge threw everything forward in the closing stages and found an equaliser through substitute Da Silva in the 87th minute. The Belgian side even had a chance to turn the game around completely in stoppage time, but Inter held firm to secure a 1-1 draw. Inter return to action in Matchday 3 of the Youth League’s League Phase on Wednesday 21 October, when they face Shakhtar Donetsk at the KONAMI Women & Talent Center.

THE MATCH

Inter made a flying start, taking the lead after just 26 seconds. El Mahboubi raced down the right and delivered a cross into the box, where Carrara got ahead of Coulibaly, controlled the ball and beat Kestemont with a right-footed shot across goal. It was 1-0, but Bigica’s side immediately threatened to double their advantage as Vukaj fired towards the top corner from the edge of the box in the third minute, narrowly missing the target. The striker was involved again in the twelfth minute, using a series of feints to get past Verlinden before shooting from inside the box, only for the Club Brugge goalkeeper to make the save. After a spell in which Inter gave their opponents little room to breathe, the Belgian side began to build their attacks more calmly. In the 20th minute, Elbay tried his luck from the edge of the box but sent his effort wide. Five minutes later, Inter launched another spell of sustained pressure. First, Kestemont held El Mahboubi’s shot, before producing an outstanding save to keep out Vukaj’s first-time effort following a driving run through the middle by Rocca. From the resulting corner, Rocca crossed into the box and Breda powered a header towards goal. The ball struck the crossbar before dropping gently into Kestemont’s arms. Club Brugge’s first clear chance came in the 34th minute, when Koren found space through the middle and broke forward on the counter. The midfielder played in Angulo, who got ahead of Makiewicz and shot, but Farronato gathered comfortably. Two minutes later, Koren again worked the ball into a dangerous position in the box, only for La Torre to make an excellent headed intervention and protect Inter’s goal. Three minutes after that, Mackiewicz twice blocked an attempt from Ossohou inside the penalty area. It was the final action of an entertaining first half, which Inter ended with their lead intact.

Club Brugge came out aggressively after the break, but Inter registered the first notable attempt of the second half in the 51st minute, when La Torre fired over following a turnover won by the Nerazzurri. Three minutes later, the Belgian side made a costly mistake while trying to clear their box. The ball fell to Vukaj, who laid it off for El Mahboubi, whose shot towards the near post was deflected behind for a corner by Kestemont. Inter’s wide forwards continued to cause problems. In the 60th minute, El Mahboubi broke into open space again, but his low shot from the edge of the box was deflected out for a corner by a Club Brugge defender. Midway through the second half, Bigica introduced Peletti and Kartelo to bring fresh legs into a game increasingly defined by physical challenges and contested balls across the pitch, with Club Brugge pushing higher up the field.

In the 72nd minute, La Torre beat Amengai with a dribble before trying to place his shot towards the far post. Kestemont gathered without difficulty. As the game entered its final stages, Inter began to feel tired. Club Brugge won more of the individual duels, forcing the Nerazzurri to dig in to protect their lead. Cremers reshaped his team to be on the attack in search of an equaliser. In the 81st minute, Farronato dealt with a dangerous situation, coming out to claim the ball in the air after a shot had been blocked by Inter’s defence. A minute later, Soria turned inside the box and shot, but Mackiewicz produced a crucial intervention to divert the ball behind for a corner. The closing minutes became a sustained siege from the Belgian side. In the 86th minute, Coulibaly’s well-directed effort was blocked by the defence, and Club Brugge continued to pin Inter back in their own half. The Nerazzurri’s resistance was finally broken in the 87th minute, when Da Silva cut inside and beat Farronato with a low shot from the edge of the box.

A minute later, Kurtal made a good run onto Ossohou’s pass, but Farronato pushed his shot behind for a corner. Moments later, Mackiewicz held onto the ball on the ground inside the box, prompting the referee to award Club Brugge an indirect free-kick. Amengal took it, but Farronato came out well to narrow the angle and block the shot. That proved to be the final major chance of the game. The match ended 1-1 at the KONAMI Women & Talent Center, with Inter claiming their first point in the 2026/27 Youth League.

INTER 1-1 CLUB BRUGGE: LIVE

Goals: 1' Carrara (I), 87' Da Silva (B)

INTER (4-3-3): 1 Farronato; 2 Lissi (14 Evangelista 74'), 4 Breda, 6 Mackiewicz, 3 Rocca (13 Peletti 65'); 8 D'Agostino (15 Moranduzzo 74'), 5 La Torre, 7 Putsen (17 Kartelo 65'); 10 El Mahboubi, 9 Carrara, 11 Vukaj (19 Franchi 84').

Subs: 12 Galliera, 16 Nese, 18 Maghlout, 20 Matarrese.

Coach: Emiliano Bigica

CLUB BRUGGE (3-4-1-2): 91 Kestemont; 93 Verlinden, 54 Coulibaly, 98 Wins; 95 Elbay, 48 Billiet (97 Amengai 57'), 76 Delorge (72 Da Silva 77'), 78 Kamara (68 Kurtal 77'); 85 Koren; 87 Ossohou, 99 Angulo (84 Soria 57').

Subs: 61 Ostoici, 49 Knouzi, 60 Fejokwu, 74 Haesaert, 94 Callens.

Coach: Piet Cremers

Bookings: Wins (B), Putsen (I), D'Agostino (I), Rocca (I), Franchi (I)

Stoppage time: 0 - 3'

Referee: Pavle Ilić (SRB).

Assistants: Uroš Radovanović (SRB), Novak Novaković (SRB).

Fourth official: Paride Tremolada (ITA)