Inter Milan began their Champions League group stage campaign with a convincing 2-0 victory over Ajax in Amsterdam.

The Nerazzurri were coming off a heartbreaking 3-4 defeat to their arch-rivals Juventus in the weekend. Moreover, the embarrassing 0-5 demolition at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain in their previous European appearance remains fresh in the minds of every football fan.

Inter had a memorable road to the final. They bested Bayern Munich in a close quarter-final affair, but their European campaign reached its climax when they battled it out with Barcelona. Many fans and observers consider their two games against Barcelona as one of the best semi-final encounters in the competition’s history, if not the very best.

Nevertheless, the team’s brilliant campaign was undone by a shocking collapse in Istanbul at the very last hurdle.

Therefore, the Serie A giants were keen to make a statement when taking on their Dutch foes.

Yann Sommer Instrumental Once More

For most of the first half, the contest was a rather balanced affair. Nevertheless, Ajax felt they should have taken the lead in the 40th minute when Mika Godts found himself one-on-one with Yann Sommer with all the time in the world.

However, the experienced Swiss goalkeeper somehow managed to deny the Belgian player. The 36-year-old has a real battle on his hands this season, as Chivu is gradually introducing the younger Josep Martinez as a genuine alternative in a rotation system, rather than a mere understudy.

Much to the Dutch supporters’ dismay, Inter took the lead in the following minute.

Hakan Calhanoglu is an expert at picking up players at the first post in corner kicks. The Turkish international thus found Marcus Thuram, who expertly took his header to give the visitors the lead.

Calhagnoglu & Thuram Strike Again

After the break, Calhanoglu and Thuram replicated their earlier exploits from the corner kick. This time, the striker positioned himself in the centre of the box, but Hakan managed to pick him up all the same, resulting in the Nerazzurri’s second on the night.

Ajax tried to climb their way back to the contest, but they weren’t able to break the black-and-blue walls. Therefore, Cristian Chivu marked his UCL managerial debut with a victory and a clean sheet.

Inter Milan To Host Slavia Praha On Matchday 2

After beating Ajax on the road, Inter will host Slavia Praha in their next Champions League contest. The match will take place at the San Siro on Tuesday, September 30.

Needless to say, the Serie A giants will be the heavy favourites. After all, the Czech club lacks the star power as well as the European pedigree to disturb the three-time European champions, at least on paper.

Therefore, Inter’s winning odds are at 1.38, while the draw is given 5.50. Slavia are the big underdogs with 9.00 winning odds. These numbers are provided by Oddspedia, who also offer their clients a golden opportunity to boost their winnings by claiming a Stake Promo Code.

It remains to be seen if the Beneamata will prove the bookmakers right by claiming a comfortable victory.

How Far Can Inter Milan Go In Europe

As evidenced by their European results in the last three campaigns, Inter had no trouble reaching the final of the Champions League. However, they failed to lift the trophy both in 2023 and 2025.

With Inzaghi now gone, many fans fear the club might struggle to cope with the continent’s elite. After all, Chivu has yet to prove himself at the big stage.

Nevertheless, one can never write out the Nerazzurri, especially if Lautaro Martinez and Thuram are on song, and Hakan Calhanoglu maintains his spectacular form.

Moreover, many would point towards the club’s improved squad depth as an important factor in the equation.

Last season, Inter often struggled to replace Lautaro and Thuram, as Mehdi Taremi, Joaquin Correa and Marko Arnautovic weren’t up to the task.

On the contrary, Chivu has many more exciting options on the bench this season. For instance, the young Francesco Pio Esposito has been identified as the next big thing at Inter. The young striker has been proving himself to be a capable understudy for the main starting duo.

Squad depth is certainly essential for a team that aims to compete for all major honours. After all, Inter were visibly out of steam by the end of last season, which cost them in their Scudetto battle against Napoli, as well as the aforementioned UCL final.

Therefore, competent replacements and squad rotation could make all the difference for the Nerazzurri come May next year.