'There's no time to sit and mope' – Inter Milan attempt to refocus after Champions League blow

Captain Handanovic insists team have to immediatley pick themselves up ahead of Serie A clash with Cagliari

Referee Slavko Vincic blows the final whistle at the end of Inter Milan's Champions League draw with Shakhtar Donetsk, a result that meant the Italian side were out of the competition. AFP

Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez. AFP

Referee Slavko Vincic shows a yellow card to Inter Milan manager Antonio Conte. AFP

Inter Milan's Achraf Hakimi is tackled by Mykola Matviyenko of Shakhtar Donetsk. Reuters

Inter goalkeeper and captain Samir Handanovic after the match. Getty

Inter striker Romelu Lukaku holds off the attentions of Shakhtar's Taras Stepanenko. EPA

Inter forward Alexis Sanchez heads on goal. AFP

Inter Milan manager Antonio Conte. Reuters

Left to right: Inter Milan's Ivan Perisic, Danilo D'Ambrosio and Inter Christian Eriksen at the end of the game. AFP

Inter Milan's Romelu Lukaku. AP

Inter Milan's Christian Eriksen, right, with teammates after the match. Reuters

Inter forward Romelu Lukaku passes the ball. AFP

Inter manager Antonio Conte. EPA

Inter Milan turn their focus back to Serie A after their disastrous Champions League exit with a trip to Cagliari awaiting on Sunday.

Leaving the competition for a third consecutive year was was a shock for Antonio Conte's expensively-assembled side, who are the top scorers domestically with 26 goals in 10 games.

Inter have spent nearly €300 million ($363m) in the past two years on new signings and their exit from Europe will hit hard.

"There's a lot of regret," said Conte after their goalless draw with Shakhtar Donetsk that meant Real Madrid and Borussia Monchengladbach qualified for the last 16. "We haven't had much luck in the Champions League given certain incidents and refereeing decisions.

"Now that we are out, I feel I have to say this. It seems to me that Inter have not been respected, if you go back and look at the situations that have not been reviewed or evaluated."

But captain Samir Handanovic warned that despite the frustration of finishing bottom of Group B, the club has to immediately refocus.

“We gave everything," he said. "It was a balanced group, we lost the opportunity in Kiev and today. We had to do better, but there is no time to cry.

"There's no time to sit and mope. We have to focus on the league and the Coppa Italia."

Conte's side are second in Serie A, five points behind leaders AC Milan, with the two city rivals trying to deny Juventus a 10th consecutive league title.

In his second campaign, Conte now has no choice but to deliver a 19th Scudetto for Inter, which would be their first since 2010.

The former Juventus and Chelsea manager took Inter to second in Serie A and the Europa League final in his first season.

AC Milan are riding high as they also target a 19th Scudetto and first since 2011.

Top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic could return against Parma after a muscle injury ruled him out of their last two league games.

Juventus, Lazio and Atalanta return to league action having all secured their passes to the Champions League knockout rounds.

Juventus, six points behind Milan in fourth, travel to lowly Genoa after their confidence-boosting 3-0 win at troubled Barcelona in which Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice.

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Juve v Barca player ratings

BARCELONA PLAYER RATINGS: GK Marc-Andre ter Stegen, 6 - Left cruelly exposed for both of Juventus’ first-half goals, but pulled out a quite brilliant one-handed save to deny Ramsey a third goal for Juve early in the second period. Getty Images

DF Sergino Dest, 6 - Wasted a great chance to get his side back into the game just before half time when he shanked well wide. The former Ajax full back was also kept busy by opposite number Sandro. Getty Images

DF Ronald Araujo, 5 - A big night for the young Uruguayan but his collision with Ronaldo gave the referee a decision to make, and unfortunately for him, a somewhat soft penalty was awarded. Reuters

DF Clement Lenglet, 4 - Picked up a yellow card for leaning into Morata with an elbow, before conceding his side’s second penalty of the game when he inexplicably dangled an arm at a loose ball. Hauled off in the 55th minute for Umtiti. Getty Images

DF Jordi Alba, 5 - Booked for protesting too much when the referee declined to book Ramsey for a heavy challenge in the first half, and the full-back was inconsistent with his distribution when presented with opportunities in the final third. Replaced by Firpo early in the second half. Reuters

MF Miralem Pjanic, 6 - Moved the ball well through midfield in typical Pjanic fashion but a couple of poor strikes at goal stagnated his side’s momentum. AP Photo

MF Frenkie de Jong, 6 - Struggled to get a foothold in the first half-hour but grew in influence and saw plenty of the ball in the final third. AP Photo

MF Trincao, 5 - Floated in and out of the game without ever looking like providing a moment of inspiration when his side needed one. Replaced at half time by Braithwaite. Getty Images

MF Pedri, 5 - Final ball let the youngster down on a couple of occasions but the same can be said for a number of his colleagues. Replaced by Puig midway through the second half. AFP

FW Lionel Messi, 6 -- So often Barcelona’s hero, but the 33-year-old hit most of his efforts straight at Buffon in the Juventus goal. Not a night that will feature in the Messi highlight reel. AFP

FW Antoine Griezmann, 5 – Barely touched the ball during a first half in which he was starved of service, before clipping the bar with a glancing header in the in the 58th minute and wildly lashing wide 10 minutes later. Reuters

SUBS: Martin Braithwaite (Trincao, 46’), 6 - Fired a deflected effort just wide with 20 minutes to go and did make an effort to bring his teammates into the game. AFP

Samuel Umtiti (Lenglet, 55’), 6 – Booked for leaving his foot in a heavy tackle on Morata shortly after coming on. AP Photo

Junior Firpo (Alba, 56’), 5 – Brought on to inject some incision out wide but the backup left-back failed to get into the game. Booked for dissent late on. Getty Images

Ricard Puig (Pedri, 66’), 6 - The youngster showed for the ball and was keen to haul his side back into it, but the game was done by the time he was introduced. Getty Images

Oscar Mingueza (Aeaujo, 82’), N/R – Slotted into defence but didn’t have much of note to do in the closing minutes of a difficult night for Barca. Getty Images

JUVENTUS PLAYER RATINGS: GK Gianluigi Buffon, 7 -- The 42-year-old’s only serious save in the first half was to tip a Messi effort around the post, with his second-half action featuring a carbon copy Messi strike that the veteran got a hand to. AFP

DF Alex Sandro, 7 -- Very solid defensively against the rampaging Dest, while offering plenty of width at the opposite end of the pitch. Reuters

DF Matthijs de Ligt, 7 -- A fairly comfortable night’s work for the Dutchman, who ensured Griezmann was a virtual spectator for large periods. AFP

DF Leonardo Bonucci, 8 - Marshalled his side through a sticky 10-minute spell towards the end of the first half but had very little defensive work in the second period and had a goal of his own disallowed for offside. Reuters

DF Danilo, 6 - Gave away the ball a couple of times when he didn’t need to and picked up a booking for pulling back Puig, but not a bad performance by any stretch. Reuters

DF Juan Cuadrado, 7 -- Played his part in Juve’s second with a pinpoint cross to lay the ball on a plate for McKennie to smash home, and the Colombian was effective at both ends of the pitch. Replaced late on by Bernardeschi. Getty Images

MF Arthur, 7 -- Alongside McKennie, the former Barca man did a great job in starving his ex-colleagues of space to operate in midfield for large periods. AFP

MF Weston McKennie, 8 -- Took his goal quite brilliantly with an acrobatic volley to put his side firmly in the driving seat and was equally impressive off the ball. A contender for man of the match. EPA

MF Aaron Ramsey, 6 -- Operating as an advanced midfielder behind the front two, the Welshman did plenty of good work in and out of possession to create space for his wing backs to bomb on. Replaced for the final 20 minutes by Rabiot. AFP

FW Alvaro Morata, 6 -- Glanced a header just over the bar after 24 minutes and the Spaniard had a couple of openings on the counterattack but chose the safe option of holding the ball up rather than baring down on goal. Booked for kicking the ball away at 3-0 before being brought off for Dybala in the closing stages. AP Photo

FW Cristiano Ronaldo, 7 -- Never looked like missing his 13th-minute spot kick as the former Real Madrid man rifled home from 12 yards, before tucking away his second penalty early in the second half to put the game to bed. Replaced in injury time by Chiesa. Getty Images

SUBS: Rodrigo Bentancur (Arthur, 71’), 6 -- Helped maintain Juventus’ stranglehold on the game in the final 20 minutes or so. Getty Images

Adrien Rabiot (Ramsey, 71’), 6 -- In the right place at the right time to halt a couple of weaving Messi runs. Getty Images

Federico Bernardeschi (Cuadrado, 85’), N/R – Kept the Barca nice and quiet in the closing stages. AFP

Paulo Dybala (Morata, 86’), N/R – Unable to add to his side’s goal tally in his short cameo. Reuters

Federico Chiesa (Ronaldo, 90+1’) N/R – Not enough time to make an impact. Reuters

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"Playing like this, we have nothing to fear until the end of the season," the triumphant Portugal captain said after the game.

As for getting one over his old La Liga foe Lionel Messi, Ronaldo said:  "I have always had a very cordial relationship with him. I shared 12, 13 or 14 years of award ceremonies with him. I never saw him as a rival.

"He always tries to do what is best for his team and me too. I always got along very well with him.

"But we know that in football, for the press, for the show, a rivalry is sought, but I have always gotten along well with him."

Seventh-placed Lazio host Hellas Verona, who are just one point behind the Roman club, with Atalanta, in ninth, hosting Fiorentina.

Tuscan side Fiorentina are hovering above the relegation zone and hoping for a first win since October 25 against Atalanta, who have taken just five points in their last six games.

Atalanta's Josip Ilicic is hoping for a first league goal this season against his former club.

The 32-year-old was out for two months with personal problems after the coronvirus lockdown, but got his first goal in the Champions League win over Liverpool two weeks ago.

Illcic played 105 matches with Fiorentina in Serie A between 2013 and 2017, before joining Atalanta where he had his best season last campaign with 15 league goals.

Third-placed Napoli, looking for a first win in their newly-named Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, host Sampdoria.

Gennaro Gattuso's side are six points behind Milan, having scored eight goals in their last two games against Roma and Crotone.

Sassuolo host Benevento on Friday looking to regain some of their early momentum, having dropped to fifth in the table as Roma head to Bologna just a point behind Roberto De Zerbi's flamboyant side.