Cristian Chivu admitted Inter risked running into trouble against Cagliari, warning that failing to kill off games they dominate can leave the Nerazzurri exposed, even as the 1-0 away win preserved their perfect start to the Serie A season.

Hakan Calhanoglu settled matters in Sardinia with another precise strike from outside the box, but the scoreline barely reflected Inter’s control. The Nerazzurri fired 31 shots at goal, seven on target, for an xG of 3.9, yet still allowed Cagliari a late sniff at an equaliser, a pattern Chivu addressed head-on alongside broader squad management questions facing his group this season.

Hakan Calhanoglu wearing an Inter Milan jersey with his hands to his ears
Hakan Calhanoglu celebrates during an Inter Milan match.

“These are your classic games where if you don’t kill them off, you can run into trouble,” Chivu told Sky Sport Italia.

Chivu on Inter’s Late Wobble

“We got a bit chaotic and stretched out in the second half, we panicked all by ourselves. We created a lot, so if there are any regrets, it’s that we didn’t convert more of the many scoring opportunities.”

He pointed to fitness levels among players returning from the World Cup as a contributing factor, noting Marcus Thuram managed 30 minutes while Curtis Jones made his debut and John Stones added further minutes off the bench. Chivu also revealed he had to shift Benjamin Pavard into a wing-back role and push Yann Bisseck into the middle once problems emerged, a switch that paid off when Bisseck produced a crucial block late on.

“Juve and Roma lost here last season, so Cagliari is tough for everyone, and we haven’t exactly had a walk in the park here either.”

Stones and Jones Settle In

Stones arrived from Manchester City and Jones from Liverpool, and Chivu was clear about what they bring even as both remain works in progress. “They have quality and experience, coming from Manchester City and Liverpool, so playing with a certain type of pressure is their bread and butter.” Djed Spence, signed from Tottenham Hotspur, still awaits his own debut.

John Stones smiling in a navy suit standing in front of Inter Milan trophies and a Welcome John sign
John Stones pictured during his presentation at Inter Milan.

Chivu framed the summer rebuild as a direct response to departures. “We lost five players, so we had to replace them,” he said, explaining that losing Palestra and Khalaili pushed Inter toward a more defensive wide profile once Diouf’s progress in that role became clear. On Jones specifically: “In midfield, we’d been thinking about Curtis Jones for a while, for his intensity, determination and the calm he has on the ball.”

Attention now turns to Napoli before Inter open their Champions League campaign at the Bernabeu against Real Madrid. “I thought about Napoli, because I’m going to have to play those two in a row,” Chivu said, adding that Inter want to be competitive in Europe while knowing roughly what points tally is needed to avoid the play-offs.