Nicolo Barella of Inter is challenged by Milan’s Strahinja Pavlovic and Koni De Winter at the San Siro on Oct 31, 2026.
After the 3‑1 loss to Milan, Chivu, Barella and Bastoni all voiced the same concern about the squad’s mindset.
Inter opened the Serie A season with a 3‑1 defeat to their city rivals.
The Nerazzurri haven’t beaten Milan since April 2024, when that win secured their 20th Scudetto.
Italian dailies slammed Chivu’s tactics, yet the real alarm stems from post‑match comments by the coach and veterans Barella and Bastoni.
‘We started wrong, but at least we pulled level to 2‑1 and could have drawn 2‑2 if not for Maignan’s save. Then we gifted another goal before halftime,’ Chivu said.
‘It’s disappointing; we should have done more. Our drive and resolve are sometimes missing,’ he added.
Barella echoed that sentiment: ‘We’ve lacked the right attitude since the season began, and that’s a negative sign.’
Bastoni warned, ‘Fatigue builds and you pay the price. We must confront ourselves; the road ahead is long.’
He continued, ‘Our approach has been wrong from the start. Inter must earn every point daily. The attitude was unacceptable.’
Winning the double in 2025‑26 set a high bar, yet this campaign feels fragile – for my money, Inter’s defensive frailties are now their biggest weakness.
They’ve conceded 13 goals in ten league games, the most among the top ten, just behind Frosinone’s 14, even though Juventus and Napoli have played one fewer match.
Across all competitions, Inter have featured in 13 games and fallen behind early on eight times.
Gazzetta described the side as overly absorbed in self‑praise, clinging to a belief in its abilities that may have become excessive.
That confidence carried them through until the derby, where Milan exposed Inter’s mental shortcomings under Chivu.