Nicolo Tresoldi’s hat-trick gave Club Brugge a stunning 4-3 win at San Siro on Tuesday, handing Inter a second consecutive defeat in the UEFA Champions League league stage. Lautaro Martinez pulled two back to keep the hosts in the game, but a defensive collapse in the final quarter of the match proved too costly for Cristian Chivu’s side. Football-italia.net reported Chivu admitting post-match that Inter ‘got frustrated and frenetic,’ calling the club’s Champions League record ‘worrying.’
Key Moments
- 30′, Tresoldi opens the scoring from the penalty spot, giving Club Brugge the lead after Jorne Spileers had already picked up a yellow card in a scrappy first half.
- 44′, Lautaro Martinez levels for Inter just before the break, finishing from a Federico Dimarco assist to make it 1-1 at halftime.
- 63′, Tresoldi restores Brugge’s lead, converting a chance set up by Carlos Forbs to put the visitors back in front.
- 74′, Tresoldi completes his hat-trick, making it 3-1 and effectively putting the match out of reach despite nine minutes of pressure still to come.
- 81′, Lautaro Martinez scores his second to give Inter a lifeline at 2-3, briefly raising hopes of a comeback at the Meazza.
- 87′, Romeo Vermant, on as a substitute just four minutes earlier, makes it 4-2 for Brugge from a Carlos Forbs assist, killing the contest.
- 90′, Bonny, another Inter substitute, pulls one back in stoppage time assisted by Stankovic, but it is too late to change the result.
Tactical Breakdown
Club Brugge set up in a 4-5-1 under Ivan Leko and were disciplined in transition, limiting their shot volume (18 total) while converting at a brutal rate. Their expected goals figure of 4.32 actually exceeded Inter’s 4.01 despite Inter holding 53 percent possession and firing 30 shots, showing Brugge’s threat was both real and clinical. Carlos Forbs was the engine behind the attacking play, picking up two assists from midfield and linking effectively with Tresoldi all night.
The match turned decisively in the 63rd-to-74th minute window. Chivu had brought off Hakan Calhanogu and Marcus Thuram at 67 minutes trying to change the dynamic, but Tresoldi struck again before those substitutions could take effect, then added a third at 74. By the time Inter’s bench changes had any impact, the deficit was too large. Brugge’s own double substitution at 61 minutes, introducing Lee Han-Beom and Felix Lemarechal for Spileers and Hugo Vetlesen, helped them absorb pressure in midfield through the critical spell.
Inter’s back three had a night to forget. With xG conceded at 4.32, the hosts were opened up repeatedly on the counter and in behind, and four of Brugge’s 17 shots from inside the box found the net. The late flurry from Lautaro Martinez and Bonny was admirable but amounted to a consolation, as yahoo Sports described it as a ‘defensive collapse’ that gifted Brugge the win.
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Verdict
Club Brugge head back to Belgium with three points from a wild night at San Siro. For Inter, who have now lost both of their opening Champions League league-stage matches, the alarm bells are audible. Chivu acknowledged as much after the final whistle, with football-italia.net quoting the coach calling the club’s European record ‘worrying.’ With the league stage still in its early stages, there is time to recover, but the defensive frailties on show here will need urgent attention.