First and second in last season’s Serie A. The two teams that, just a few months ago, were looking down on everyone else. And today, both are still stuck on zero points in the Champions League.
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Inter and Napoli crumble against Club Bruges and Villarreal, sending a warning that Italian football would do well not to ignore.
Seven goals conceded between them
Four against Club Bruges at San Siro, three against Villarreal at the Ceramica. The teams conceding them were Inter and Napoli, respectively first and second in last season’s Serie A, which the Nerazzurri won with 87 points, ahead of the Azzurri on 76.
The problem, of course, cannot be reduced to a single evening. But that is precisely why this Champions League night has caused such a stir.
Because we are not talking about just any two Italian teams. We are talking about the two sides that best represented the pinnacle of our league last season. And who, as soon as they stepped beyond Serie A, suddenly found themselves far more vulnerable.
Inter concede four to Bruges at San Siro
The most shocking result comes from Milan. Inter 3, Club Bruges 4. Not at the Bernabeu, Anfield or Camp Nou. At San Siro, against a team coming off a home defeat in their opening European fixture.
Nicolò Tresoldi was the undisputed star, scoring a hat-trick. Bruges took the lead from the penalty spot, Lautaro Martinez equalised, and then a mix-up between Josep Martinez and the Inter defence allowed the visitors to go straight back in front.
Tresoldi completed his hat-trick in the second half, Lautaro brought Inter back into the game once again, but Vermant made it 4-2 before Bonny’s consolation goal in stoppage time.
Seven goals, plenty of entertainment. But above all, four goals conceded by Inter at home. And that is the figure that should cause concern.
Because the Italian champions showed a fragility that is immediately punished in Europe: individual errors, space in behind, poor defensive judgement and the constant feeling that Bruges could hurt them whenever they beat the initial press.
Inter did respond in attack. But in the Champions League, you cannot expect to have to score five goals to win a home game against Club Bruges.
Napoli: from taking the lead to falling apart
If anything, Napoli’s evening tells an even more frustrating story. Because the Azzurri started well at Villarreal. Rrahmani scored after just eight minutes. Hojlund hit the woodwork and came close to making it 2-0.
Then everything changed.
A mistake by Politano opened the door for Mikautadze to make it 1-1. A minute later, Mourino made it 2-1 with a shot from around thirty metres out. In next to no time, Napoli went from having a chance to double their lead to finding themselves behind. They tried to respond in the second half, but never really managed to shift the momentum of the game, and late on Oluwaseyi made it 3-1 to put the result beyond doubt.
Here too, the score tells only part of the story. Because Napoli had chances. They had positive spells. But Europe does not forgive lapses in concentration.
Is the problem really just Inter and Napoli?
Be careful about turning two matches into a definitive verdict on Italian football. That would be too easy. Anyone can have a bad night, and the Champions League has shown countless times that it can overturn the established order and defy predictions.
But ignoring what happened would be just as superficial. Because Bruges and Villarreal troubled last season’s two best Italian teams in very similar ways.
Tempo. Intensity. Directness. Aggression in transition.
When the games opened up, both Inter and Napoli looked far less comfortable than they usually do in Serie A. And perhaps this is where we need to look beyond the scoreline.
From Serie A stars to European setbacks
Inter and Napoli set the standard in Serie A. The former dominated the league, finishing with 89 goals scored and claiming the 21st Scudetto in their history. Napoli finished immediately behind them.
A few months later, however, Europe presents a very different reckoning. Not against two powerhouses. Against Club Bruges and Villarreal. And so the question becomes unavoidable.
What is being the best in Italy worth today once you step beyond Serie A?
If the top two teams in our league are put under such severe pressure even by opponents outside Europe’s very top tier, the problem deserves at least some scrutiny.
Zero points and seven goals: a warning sign
It is not yet time to point fingers. The Champions League is a long campaign, and both Inter and Napoli have enough quality, experience and players to get themselves back in contention. But after two matchdays, the numbers are still there.
Inter: zero points. Napoli: zero points.
And on the same night, last season’s top two Serie A sides conceded seven goals between them against Bruges and Villarreal. Perhaps it will turn out to be nothing more than a bad October evening.
But there is another possibility. That this Champions League is holding up a mirror to Italian football that makes for uncomfortable viewing. Because dominating Serie A is one thing. Trying to do the same when the tempo rises to European levels is, evidently, a whole different story.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.