Alessandro Bastoni has urged his Inter team-mates to "deliver a significant response" in their Champions League clash with Shakhtar Donetsk.

Inter have lost both of their league phase matches so far this season, going down 2-1 to Real Madrid and 4-3 to Club Brugge.

Cristian Chivu's side were beaten on home soil last time out in the Champions League, despite scoring three goals (v Brugge). That was the 86th time they had scored 3+ goals in a major European match, yet the first time they had gone on to lose.

Inter are currently on their longest-ever losing streak in the European Cup/Champions League (four matches).

They have lost seven of their last eight (W1), which is more than they did in their previous 41 in the competition combined (six), and Bastoni is desperate to provide a strong showing.

"We're forced to get a result, or it becomes impossible to get into the top eight," Bastoni said.

Bastoni's thoughts on tomorrow  https://t.co/GT7iGbRZLd

— Inter  (@Inter_en) October 20, 2026

"We need to look more at reality. The finals and the journeys we've had in the Champions League in recent years are a thing of the past.

"The schedule and recent matches must bring us back down to earth. Starting against Shakhtar, we need to deliver a significant response.

"Intellectual honesty is needed from each of us. Looking at individual incidents, you see many individual errors."

Including qualifiers, Inter are unbeaten in their seven games against Shakhtar (W3 D4), while keeping six clean sheets (only one goal conceded).

Of fixtures played at least three times in the European Cup/Champions League, none have a lower goals-per-game ratio than matches played between Inter and Shakhtar (0.5 – two goals in four games, both scored by Inter).

The last win by a Ukrainian side against an Italian opponent in the Champions League was in October 2019 (Atalanta 1-2 Shakhtar) – since then, Ukrainian sides are winless in nine games (D4 L5) and failed to score a single goal.