Inter earned a 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, yet still missed direct progression to the last 16. Second-half goals from Federico Dimarco and Andy Diouf secured the win in Germany,
but results elsewhere meant Inter finished 10th and now face a play-off to stay in the competition.
Dimarco shifted the mood with a late dead-ball strike, then Diouf added another in stoppage time. The goals arrived after an uneventful opening period at Signal Iduna Park, where both teams struggled to create clear chances and the contest seemed set for a draw that would not help either side.
The win temporarily lifted Inter into the top eight when Dimarco scored with 10 minutes left. However, by the time Diouf’s effort crossed the line, other scores had changed the table. Inter slipped back to 10th, so must now meet either Bodo/Glimt or Benfica in a two-legged play-off for a last-16 berth.
Benfica stayed alive thanks to a dramatic late twist in their own match. Goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored in the 98th minute of a 4-2 victory over Real Madrid, keeping Benfica in the Champions League hunt. That goal ensured the Portuguese club remained a possible opponent for Inter in the next round.
The first half in Dortmund contained few moments of quality from either side. Borussia Dortmund, who ended the phase in 17th and now await Atalanta or Bundesliga rivals Bayer Leverkusen, created the best early openings. Serhou Guirassy shot straight at Yann Sommer from close range when the ball broke kindly inside the box.
Just before the interval, Ange-Yoan Bonny directed a free header off target and wasted another promising situation. Inter also struggled to find rhythm, with attacks breaking down in the final third. The match drifted towards a stalemate before Dimarco produced a precise set piece that changed the tone and gave Inter belief.
Dimarco’s breakthrough arrived from a free-kick positioned outside the Dortmund area. The wing-back curled the ball around the wall and into the right-hand side of the net, beating the goalkeeper’s dive. That strike, arriving with around 10 minutes remaining, was Dimarco’s second goal in the Champions League across his 43 appearances.
Inter then caught Dortmund high up the pitch from a late throw-in. Quick passing moved the ball into the feet of Diouf on the edge of the box. The midfielder’s shot lacked power and clipped Jobe Bellingham, but the deflection wrong-footed the goalkeeper and rolled into the bottom-right corner to seal the 2-0 scoreline.
For Diouf, the goal carried personal and historical weight. This was Diouf’s fourth appearance in Europe’s main club competition and his first goal in the tournament. The strike completed a strong night for Inter in Germany, even though the final standings left the team with extra fixtures before any last-16 involvement.
Diouf also joined a select group of French scorers for Inter in this tournament. He became the fifth French player to register a Champions League goal for the Italian side. The others are Marcus Thuram, Benjamin Pavard, Youri Djorkaeff and Patrick Vieira, with Thuram the leading contributor among that group.
Consequently, Inter continued a consistent record away to German opposition in this competition. Inter have now recorded successive away wins against German clubs in the Champions League for the first time. Last season, Inter defeated Bayern Munich 2-1 at the Allianz Arena in the first leg of their quarter-final tie.
The club highlighted the result in Dortmund with a post on social media.The message underlined that the win keeps Inter active in the Champions League, despite missing automatic qualification.We take all three points on the road, and our #UCL journey continues! pic.twitter.com/gK1T0MWyBaInter (@Inter_en) January 28, 2026
Overall, Inter left Signal Iduna Park with three points, an improved position and added confidence. Dimarco’s free-kick and Diouf’s late strike offered encouragement, while Diouf’s entry into Inter’s French scorers list added a statistical footnote. The requirement to face Bodo/Glimt or Benfica means Inter’s route to the last 16 remains demanding but clear.
