Shakhtar Donetsk head coach Roberto De Zerbi believes that Inter are a formidable side despite the loss of key players during the summer.

Speaking to Shakhtar’s official social media channel, as reported by FCInter1908, the Italian tactician stated that he believes that the Nerazzurri will be a difficult opponent after drawing them as opponents in the Champions League together in Group D.

De Zerbi joined the Ukrainian club from Sassuolo this summer, and aside from wrestling the Ukrainian title back from great rivals Dynamo Kiev, he will have a strong showing in the Champions League as part of his remit.

Inter and Shakhtar will face each other in the same group as Real Madrid and Sheriff Tiraspol, and the former Sassuolo boss believes that it will be a difficult group, and that the Nerazzurri specifically will be tough to get a result against, regardless of having sold Achraf Hakimi an Romelu Lukaku in the summer, and parted ways with manager Antonio Conte.

“Inter and Real have changed coaches, but perhaps they have also improved their level. There is also Sheriff in the group – I don’t know this team very well, but they played well against Dinamo Zagreb,” De Zerbi explained.

“After the Champions League draw,” he went on, “it’s always difficult to say how easy or difficult the group is, in the Champions League you can play Liverpool, Manchester, PSG… We’ll play and see what happens.”

De Zerbi described Inter as “A strong team with quality players. They have changed coaches as well. Tactically, it can be said that they play almost the same way as the previous manager.”

He continued, “Inter have lost Lukaku and Hakimi, but have signed Dzeko, Calhanoglu, Correa, so I think they have a really strong team.”