Inter captain Samir Handanovic is glad that he and his teammates have qualified for the Champions League knockout rounds even if they were unable to do so top of their group.
Speaking to InterTV after the Nerazzurri’s 2-0 defeat against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu he expressed disappointment at the result but also emphasized that in perspective they have still done what they set out to do in the competition.
A draw wouldn’t have done the Nerazzurri any good as they needed three points to leapfrog Real at the top of their group.
They played as though they understood this, pushing for an opening goal, but Real scored the opener meaning that they needed two.
Nicolo Barella got himself sent off during the second half and the Nerazzurri’s task went from difficult to close to impossible, though even with the defeat they have still secured a place in the round of sixteen for the first time in a decade.
“As a game and a performance it was good,” Handanovic reflected on the evening. “We put Real under pressure for a good part of the match.”
He went on that “Unfortunately we did not take advantage of the opportunities that we had, unlike them, who took advantage of the first one that they got.”
Of qualification for the knockouts, he stated that “Our objective has been achieved, which is the most important thing, with a game to spare.”
“First objective of the season achieved,” he reflected. “This match was for first in the group, we wanted to win but we didn’t succeed. But the objective is achieved so we’re still positive.”
Handanovic then emphasized that he is looking ahead, stating that “From tomorrow we are already thinking about Cagliari, another tough match.”
