Inter Milan Beat Shakhtar Donetsk Despite Bastoni Red Card in Champions League Thriller

Sign InSportsInter Milan Beat Shakhtar Donetsk Despite Bastoni Red Card in Champions League ThrillerBy Boniface Mulyungi · October 22, 2026 · 3 min readSponsored AdInter Milan ended their Champions League losing streak with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk, with Carlos Augusto scoring the decisive goal in the 77th minute despite the Italian side being reduced to 10 men.

The victory was a welcome relief for the Italian champions, who had lost their opening two matches in the competition and won just one of their previous eight Champions League games.

Inter, who finished as runners-up in both 2023 and 2025, entered the encounter under pressure to turn their European campaign around, but their task became more complicated when defender Alessandro Bastoni was sent off in the second half.

The turning point came in the 68th minute when Bastoni received his marching orders after collecting two yellow cards within three minutes.

The defender’s dismissal left Inter with 10 players for the closing stages, forcing them to reorganise defensively while trying to maintain their attacking threat.

Shakhtar had an opportunity to capitalise on their numerical advantage, but Inter remained dangerous and continued to look for openings rather than simply retreating into their own half.

Despite being a man down, Inter found the breakthrough just nine minutes after the red card.

Inter’s persistence paid off in the 77th minute when Carlos Augusto produced the decisive moment of the match.

The Brazilian defender was picked out by a superb lofted pass from Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who had come off the bench less than two minutes earlier.

Augusto timed his run perfectly, raced through on goal and managed to beat the advancing Shakhtar goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk to put Inter ahead 1-0.

The goal was a significant blow to Shakhtar, who had the numerical advantage but were unable to prevent Inter from taking the lead.

Augusto’s clinical finish also demonstrated Inter’s ability to exploit spaces in the opposition defence even when playing with 10 men.

Mkhitaryan nearly added a second goal after playing a crucial role in the opener.

The Armenian midfielder found himself through on goal in a one-on-one situation, but Shakhtar’s defensive pressure forced him to turn back before his eventual attempt struck the side-netting.

The missed opportunity left Inter without the comfort of a two-goal cushion, ensuring a tense finish as Shakhtar looked for a late equaliser.

Inter, however, held on to secure a crucial three points and end their frustrating run of defeats in Europe’s premier club competition.

Inter will look to build on the victory when they travel to face Feyenoord on November 3, with kick-off scheduled for 8:00 pm.

Shakhtar Donetsk, who have four points in the league phase, will host Sporting at Stamford Bridge on the same evening, with the match scheduled to begin at 5:45 pm.

For Inter, the result offers renewed hope of getting their Champions League campaign back on track, while Shakhtar will be left to reflect on a missed opportunity after failing to take advantage of their numerical superiority.

BMBoniface MulyungiReporter, Uzalendo News.