Inter Milan continued their dominant run in the Champions League, securing their fourth consecutive victory with a 2-1 win over Kairat Almaty at the San Siro. Meanwhile, in a thrilling encounter at the Jan Breydel Stadium, Barcelona and Club Brugge played out a 3-3 draw, a result that saw the Spanish giants needing to come from behind on three separate occasions.
Inter's Perfect Start
Inter Milan maintained their perfect record in the Champions League group stage, though they were made to work for it against a resilient Kairat Almaty side. Lautaro Martinez, who continues to be a key figure for the Italian side, opened the scoring just before halftime. However, Kairat Almaty responded strongly in the second half, with Ofri Arad scoring ten minutes after the restart. Carlos Augusto then secured the victory for Inter with a fine strike in the 67th minute, ensuring the Nerazzurri remain a formidable force in the competition. Despite the win, Inter coach Cristian Chivu acknowledged his team's sluggish performance, while also missing key players such as Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Matteo Darmian due to injury. Inter are currently tied with Arsenal and Bayern Munich with 12 points.
Six-Goal Thriller in Brugge
In Belgium, Barcelona and Club Brugge delivered a Champions League classic, filled with drama and goals. Nicolo Tresoldi opened the scoring for the home side in the 6th minute, but Barcelona responded quickly through Ferran Torres. The game continued at a frantic pace, with Carlos Forbs restoring Brugge's lead. Barcelona's Lamine Yamal then scored to equalize. Forbs then scored again to put Brugge ahead before an own goal from Christos Tzolis leveled the score once more.
Barcelona pushed for a winner, but a late goal from Romeo Vermant was disallowed following a VAR review, ensuring the match ended in a draw. Barcelona had to come from behind three times to earn a point. The result leaves Barcelona in a tricky position in their group, with qualification for the knockout stages far from guaranteed.
The draw was a fair reflection of a game where both teams displayed attacking intent but also showed defensive vulnerabilities. Barcelona will need to address their defensive issues if they are to progress further in the Champions League.
