Inter 0-1 Trabzonspor: 2010 Champions League winners fall to humiliating home defeat

Inter's Champions League campaign started with a shock 1-0 defeat to Trabzonspor at San Siro on Wednesday.

The Turkish side had taken Fenerbahce's place in the group stages after alleged match-fixing and stunned the Italians thanks to a late strike from Ondrej Celustka.

The hosts made five changes from the side that lost 4-3 at Palermo on Sunday with Wesley Sneijder handed a starting berth and coach Gian Piero Gasperini reverting to a four-man defence.

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New signing Mauro Zarate had the first chance of the game after half an hour but Tolga Zengin was equal to the Argentine’s smart shot.

From the resulting corner Giampaolo Pazzini found himself unmarked in the six-yard box but failed to connect with a volley, much to the frustration of the home fans.

Zarate then latched on to Sneijder’s through ball but was again denied by Tolga. Sensing the danger, Trabzonspor were happy to sit back and despite a succession of free kicks and corners it remained level at the break.

Gasperini brought on Diego Milito and fellow Argentine Ricky Alvarez early in the second half as Inter struggled to trouble Trabzonspor’s stubborn backline.

With 20 minutes left the ball broke at Milito’s feet but the striker couldn’t beat Tolga and then moments later flashed a header wide from a Javier Zanetti cross.

Inter’s profligacy in front of goal was punished when Esteban Cambiasso failed to clear Halil Alintop's volley against the bar. Ondrej Celutska was on hand to steal possession and sweep his shot past the stranded Julio Cesar to give the visitors an unlikely lead.

Inter threw everything at the Turkish side in the final 15 minutes, with Coutinho coming on for Zarate. The young Brazilian came closest in the dying moments but Trabzonspor managed to hold on for one of the biggest wins in their history.

With Lille and CSKA Moscow drawing 2-2 in the other match, the 2010 winners find themselves bottom of the table.