Serie A Daily Roundup: Inter Lose 1-2 Away to Real Madrid in Champions League, Lautaro Receives Fifth Ballon d'Or Nomination

Chivu: I am not worried at all about Inter's scoring ability; Josep reacted well after the mistake.

In the first round of the Champions League league phase, Inter lost 1-2 away to Real Madrid. After the match, head coach Chivu said at the post-match press conference that he saw a team with courage and confidence coming here. Although they knew their opponent was Real Madrid, they never considered playing negatively or defensively, and the team is on the right path.

Chivu admitted that mistakes must also be acknowledged, but he was more concerned about the reaction after mistakes. The team maintained its competitive state, created chances, controlled possession, and repeatedly threatened the opponent's penalty area. He recognized the team's courage and character. Source: Inter post-match press conference.

Capello: Inter were obsessed with short passing and did not prepare a strategy targeting Real Madrid's weaknesses.

After Real Madrid defeated Inter 2-1, Italian coach Capello told Sky Sport Italia that Inter's biggest weakness at the Bernabeu was getting trapped in short-passing combinations through the middle and failing to use switches of play to stretch the attack.

Capello said Inter failed to effectively use the space on the wings apart from Lautaro's goal. At that moment, Real Madrid's formation was somewhat disorganized, and Inter could have built attacks freely, but they failed to take advantage of the opportunities and failed to make good use of Diouf's influence during the match.

Capello said Inter completely controlled the tempo in the opening 15 minutes but remained focused on complicated short-passing combinations instead of making simple switches of play. Having watched Real Madrid's previous league matches, it was clear they had suffered major pressure because of those wing passes. Clearly, Inter did not prepare a specific plan to target this weakness. Source: Sky Sport Italia.

Inter official: Lautaro receives his fifth Ballon d'Or nomination, ranking third in club history.

The 30-player shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d'Or was announced, with Inter captain Lautaro included. Inter's official website reviewed Lautaro's Ballon d'Or statistics. This is his fifth nomination, after finishing 21st in 2021, 20th in 2023, seventh in 2024, and 20th in 2025.

Lautaro won the Serie A title and Coppa Italia with Inter last season, claimed the Serie A Golden Boot with 17 goals, and scored three goals at this summer's World Cup to help Argentina finish as runners-up.

Lautaro has become the third Inter player with the most Ballon d'Or nominations in club history, behind only Mazzola's nine and Facchetti's eight. This is also his fourth consecutive nomination, a feat previously achieved by Suarez, Facchetti, and Matthaus. Source: Inter official website.

Schira: AC Milan and Juventus continue to monitor Dortmund's 18-year-old forward Inacio.

According to Italian journalist Schira, AC Milan and Juventus are still monitoring Dortmund youngster Inacio. Schira revealed that both Serie A clubs showed interest in Inacio this summer, and they continue to follow him.

Inacio is an 18-year-old Italian forward who has made three appearances for Dortmund this season and scored two goals. The young striker previously performed well in Dortmund's youth team and entered the first-team rotation due to his recent scoring performances. Source: Schira.

Tardelli: Locatelli's injury is a heavy blow for Juventus; McKennie and Koopmeiners are the replacements. Juventus legend Tardelli discussed the club's injury situation in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport. After K. Thuram underwent surgery, Juventus captain Locatelli also underwent surgery, leaving a major gap in midfield.

Tardelli said this is undoubtedly a heavy blow for the club, especially worsening the impact of Yildiz's absence due to injury. He believes the captaincy will be replaced and the armband will be worn by another player, but Locatelli is an important player and must be replaced by someone with the same personality, which is not easy. Locatelli and K. Thuram were expected to be the starting double defensive midfielders, but both will now be out for a long period. Spalletti needs to find a new midfield engine and may return to the transfer market to look for free agents. Source: La Gazzetta dello Sport.