Inter take defensive warning into Bologna trip without Lautaro

Inter head to Bologna without Lautaro Martinez and with their defending under scrutiny after a 4-3 Champions League defeat to Club Brugge. Cristian Chivu’s side remain top of Serie A, but their European start has turned the trip into a test of how quickly they can respond.

Inter have 16 points from six league matches: five wins and a draw, with a goal difference of plus 10. They are unbeaten in Serie A and won their most recent league game. Lautaro is listed out with a thigh injury, alongside Pavard, Jones and Stones, who are also listed with thigh injuries.

The Brugge loss was Inter’s second consecutive defeat in Europe, following their loss at Real Madrid. They have no points after two Champions League matches and have conceded seven goals. Tuttomercatoweb reports that Inter have conceded 14 goals in eight matches overall.

Nicolò Tresoldi drove Brugge’s win with a hat-trick. He opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 30th minute, and Lautaro equalised just before half-time. Tresoldi then scored twice in the second half to put the visitors in control. Lautaro’s second goal made it 3-2, before Romeo Vermant restored Brugge’s two-goal cushion. Ange-Yoan Bonny scored in the 93rd minute, but Inter’s late reply could not change the result.

Stadiosport also singled out goalkeeper Josep Martinez for a serious error that weighed on the defeat. The scoreline offered a glimpse of Inter’s attacking response, but conceding four at home added to the concern around a defence that has already been breached 14 times in eight matches, according to Tuttomercatoweb.

Inter travel to Bologna on Saturday, October 17, with kickoff at 18:00 CEST. The league position gives Chivu’s side a strong platform; the immediate challenge is to protect it without Lautaro and stop the European defensive problems carrying into Serie A.