Dortmund Struggles In Inter Clash As Kovac Says Team Showed Inter Too Much Respect In Champions League Defeat

Borussia Dortmund slipped to a 2-0 home defeat against Inter in the Champions League league phase, a result that confirmed a play-off spot. Goals from Federico Dimarco and Andy Diouf settled a close contest

at Signal Iduna Park, where Dortmund created limited danger, finishing with just one effort on target and 0.94 expected goals.

The setback continued a recent scoring problem for Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League. Dortmund have now gone two European games without a goal, after a 2-0 loss to Tottenham on matchday seven. Before that run, Dortmund had found the net in seven straight matches in the competition, highlighting a sharp change in attacking output.

The blank against Inter also marked a rare failure to score at home in Europe for Borussia Dortmund. This is Dortmund’s first goalless performance in a home group or league-stage match since a 0-0 draw with AC Milan in October 2023, underlining how unusual such an attacking shutdown has been at Signal Iduna Park.

Niko Kovac felt the display against Inter lacked conviction in key moments. Dortmund showed respect for the visitors but did not convert promising situations into clear chances. Kovac believed several attacks broke down through poor choices in the final third, leaving the team unable to rescue even a point from a tight encounter.

The league phase ends in defeat. pic.twitter.com/KKETdWrYqxBorussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) January 28, 2026

It was a tough game, he said.We had a chance after 10 minutes through Serhou [Guirassy]. If he had kept his cool and put the ball in the net, the game might have turned out differently. Now, we're in the play-offs, just like last year. We will have to play the second game away. But it's okay.If you want to reach the round of 16, you have to win no matter where and no matter who you're playing against. My feeling was that we showed a little too much respect today. It's Inter, but we have our qualities, too. However, we didn't finish certain situations because we made the wrong decisions. You still have to come away from this game with a 0-0 draw.

Borussia Dortmund finished 17th in the league phase standings and now move into the play-offs. An all-Bundesliga tie with Bayer Leverkusen is one possible outcome, with Atalanta the other potential opponent. The draw will decide whether Dortmund face a domestic rival or a Serie A side in the two-legged tie.

The play-offs are familiar territory for Borussia Dortmund under Niko Kovac. Last season, Dortmund advanced past Lille 3-2 on aggregate, then exited in the quarter-finals following a 5-3 aggregate defeat against Barcelona. Kovac does not fear playing two more matches and accepts another away second leg as part of the challenge.

Key match statistics from Borussia Dortmund’s defeat to Inter highlight the narrow margins involved, and the difficulty Dortmund had in breaking down organised opposition.

Across Europe, this result places Borussia Dortmund under pressure before the knockouts, yet also leaves everything still in play. The upcoming play-off, whether against Bayer Leverkusen or Atalanta, will determine if Dortmund can reach the round of 16 again, and whether the attacking struggles of recent games can be corrected quickly.