Edin Dzeko scored one and created another for Denzel Dumfries, as Inter dominated their Champions League trip to Viktoria Plzen, aided also by a red card for a horror tackle on Nicolò Barella.
The Nerazzurri lost their opener 2-0 to Bayern Munich, while Viktoria Plzen were crushed 5-1 by Barcelona. With Romelu Lukaku injured, Simone Inzaghi also rested the likes of Lautaro Martinez and Hakan Calhanoglu, giving Francesco Acerbi his debut and bringing Andre Onana back in goal.
Jan Sykora brought down Denzel Dumfries right on the edge of the area and received a yellow card, rather than the red Inter players were arguing for.
Acerbi acrobatically tested the goalkeeper from a corner, but Inter finally broke the deadlock against a very defensive side when Robin Gosens controlled with his back to goal, spreading for Joaquin Correa, who in turn found Dzeko for a precise right-foot angled drive into the far bottom corner.
Correa and Henrikh Mkhitaryan scuffed finishes from promising positions, while Dzeko on the counter saw his effort parried by the goalkeeper’s legs.
Adam Vlkanova had a couple of efforts from range go over the bar, but after the restart goalkeeper Jindfich Stanek needed a great one-handed save on the Gosens header from an Alessandro Bastoni free kick, with Milan Skriniar unable to turn in the rebound.
He got down again to parry the Dzeko strike moments later, while Denzel Dumfries nodded Bastoni’s cross over the bar.
The hosts went down to 10 men after a horrible studs-up tackle from Pavel Bucha right on Nicolò Barella’s ankle. It was initially a yellow, but changed to a straight red after the VAR on-field review.
Nonetheless, Viktoria Plzen created their best chance of the game so far, Sykora bursting into the box and his finish deflected wide of the near post by a Skriniar lunge.
Inter doubled their lead just as the hosts were pushing forward, as this left spaces for the counter-attack, Dzeko picking the right pass for a Dumfries angled drive. It was the Dutchman’s debut Champions League goal.
Onana still had to make his first genuine save when a free kick took a slight deflection off Fortune Bassey and bounced right in front of him, fingertipped round the post.
With the final kick of the game, he also had to rush off the line to smother at the feet of Bassey.
Viktoria Plzen 0-2 Inter
Dzeko 20 (I), Dumfries 70 (I)
Sent off: Bucha 61 (V)
Plzen were pretty bad – especially in defence. They couldn’t defend and left Inter players totally unmarked. Barcelona will beat Inter and Inter may get a draw at home. It’s not going tO happen for them again.