Form and context

Inter host Shakhtar Donetsk at San Siro on Matchday 3 of the 2026/27 Champions League regular season phase. The Nerazzurri come off a 3-1 Serie A win at Bologna on October 17, having lost 4-3 at home to Club Brugge in Europe on October 13. Shakhtar arrive on a three-match winning run in all competitions and sit top of the Ukrainian Premier League.

Team news

• Inter: Lautaro Martínez is set for weeks on the sidelines with a strain in his left hamstring, with La Gazzetta dello Sport expecting him to sit out through next month's international break. Marcus Thuram, Pio Esposito and Ange-Yoan Bonny are the forward options in his absence. The club reported no confirmed injury or suspension information beyond that.
• Shakhtar Donetsk: Maryan Shved is listed as having no eligibility, while Eguinaldo is out with a shoulder injury. Goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk said the squad had already shifted focus to the San Siro trip after the 2-1 win over Kolos Kovalivka.

What the numbers say

• Inter's last five in all competitions: two wins, one draw, two losses, with 13 scored and nine conceded.
• Shakhtar have won four of their last five in all competitions, drawing 1-1 with PSV Eindhoven, scoring nine and conceding two.
• Inter have won three of the seven meetings between the clubs; Shakhtar have none. The most recent was a 2-0 Inter win in November 2021, and the three meetings before that all ended 0-0.
• Shakhtar are 11th in the standings and Inter 29th ahead of this round.

Our view

Inter's home advantage and head-to-head record point their way, but the loss of their captain and main striker is a real complication against a Shakhtar side in strong domestic form. The visitors have conceded just twice in their last five, so a tight game looks likely.

Most likely outcome: home win - Inter's record in this fixture and San Siro setting outweigh Shakhtar's momentum.