Inter 1-0 Shakhtar Donetsk: result and report

The Pundit picked Inter (59%): correct

Report

Inter beat Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, but they did it the hard way. The only goal came nine minutes after Alessandro Bastoni was sent off, so Inter won the game while down to ten men.

The game was goalless until the decisive late spell. Bastoni was shown a second yellow card on 68 minutes, which left Inter a player short for the closing stretch.

Despite the dismissal, Inter scored next. Carlos Augusto struck on 77 minutes from Henrikh Mkhitaryan's assist, and that goal settled it. Carlos Augusto was also named player of the match, because his goal was the difference in a tight game.

Chances on both sides

The underlying numbers support the result, though only narrowly. Inter finished with just over 1.0 xG against a little over 0.8 for Shakhtar Donetsk. They had nine shots to seven, five on target to four, and the game's only big chance.

So this was not a smash-and-grab. Inter created slightly more and slightly better, while neither side opened the other up often. Inter also built more pressure on average across the match. That fits with them being the side more likely to find a winner, even after the red card.

Shakhtar Donetsk: close but short

The counter-signal is possession. Shakhtar Donetsk had 55% of the ball to Inter's 45%, yet that did not turn into the better chances. Both goalkeepers made four saves, so Shakhtar did test Inter, but never with a chance as clear as the one Inter created.

The missed opportunity was the extra man. Shakhtar Donetsk had a numerical advantage for the final stretch, while still conceding the only goal of the game rather than finding one of their own.