Amsterdam in black and blue: Thuram's goals, Pio Eposito's night and 100 appearances

It was a perfect night and an opening victory thanks to a convincing performance. Inter won 2-0 against Ajax in our first game of the 2025/26 Champions League. The Nerazzurri secured all three points thanks to Marcus Thuram's brace. The match at the Johan Cruyff Arena produced plenty of interesting facts and figures.

TIKUS' NIGHT

Talent, power and determination. The show was stolen by Marcus Thuram, scorer of two headers: only he and Hernán Crespo (in 2002, also in Amsterdam) have managed to score two headed goals for Inter in a single Champions League game. Tikus' perfect performance was recognised with the Man of the Match award. The Frenchman's season has started well: Thuram has scored four headers in six appearances in all competitions, one more than he managed over the whole of last season. In the Champions League, five of his nine goals have come in his last 8 appearances. On seven of those occasions, he scored the opener. With this brace, the Nerazzurri's number 9 has become the Serie A player to have scored more than one in the most games, across all competitions, since the start of last season (6).

NERAZZURRI STATS

Our opening win away to Ajax has written off a taboo that has lasted for six seasons: Inter hadn't won their first Champions League match of the season since beating Tottenham in 2018/19. The Nerazzurri's impeccable run against Dutch teams continues: Inter are unbeaten in the Champions League (ten wins and three draws), with wins in our last three against Dutch sides. The victory at the Johan Cruyff Arena once again emphasised Chivu's side's work on set pieces: no team in Europe's top five leagues has scored more goals from a corner than Inter this season: five goals, including our last three, level with Chelsea. Finally, with our win in Amsterdam, the Nerazzurri have extended their unbeaten away streak in Europe to five games (five wins, one draw), with an average of two goals scored per game.

CARLOS, THURAM AND SOMMER MARK 100 APPEARANCES

It was a special night in Amsterdam for Marcus Thuram, Carlos Augusto and Yann Sommer who celebrated 100 matches in black and blue in all competitions. It was an important achievement celebrated with a convincing win and an outstanding brace for the French forward.

PIO ESPOSITO'S UNFORGETTABLE EVENING

European nights are ones that you remember. Francesco Pio Esposito got his Champions League debut at the Johan Cruijff Arena at just 20 years old. His first European game was not one to forget. At 20 years and 81 days old, he became the youngest forward to start for Inter in the Champions League since Mario Balotelli (December 2009). It was an intense and action-packed 90 minutes. Pio Esposito showed that hunger that cannot be taught, and he chased down every ball intently. He played 47 minutes, getting three shots on target and creating three chances for teammates. He was involved in 11 duels, winning six, with a tough exterior, yet a warm heart.

These are just numbers, of course. But there was also a lot of substance: the makings of a lad who had no fear on a night marking the beginning of a journey. It was Pio Esposito's first real night, and the first at the heart of the Champions League.