A late strike from Dimarco and stoppage-time goal by Diouf give Inter a big away win, but the Nerazzurri are still bound for the Champions League playoffs.
Inter claimed an impressive 2–0 victory away at Borussia Dortmund on Matchday 8 of the Champions League, conquering the Signal Iduna Park thanks to a moment of brilliance from Federico Dimarco and a late goal by substitute Diouf. Despite the prestige of the win, Cristian Chivu’s side fell short of the points needed for direct qualification to the round of 16 and will now have to go through the playoff round.
Inter arrived in Germany severely depleted, missing key midfielders Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Nicolò Barella, as well as Denzel Dumfries. In attack, Chivu opted for Marcus Thuram alongside Bonny, leaving Lautaro Martínez on the bench.
The opening stages were cagey, but Dortmund had a golden chance to take the lead after just ten minutes. Serhou Guirassy found himself one-on-one with Yann Sommer, only to completely miscontrol the ball, allowing the Inter goalkeeper to collect comfortably. It was a costly miss that would haunt the hosts.
Inter tried to gain control of the game through possession, but struggled to create real danger before halftime. Dortmund, meanwhile, relied on quick transitions but failed to capitalize. The teams went into the break locked at 0–0.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with few clear-cut chances. Inter came closest through Pio Esposito, who had replaced Bonny around the hour mark, but his effort was brilliantly blocked by a perfectly timed slide from Bensebaini.
Just as the match seemed destined for a goalless draw, Dortmund made a fatal mistake. In the 80th minute, Nmecha conceded a free kick just outside the box, and Dimarco made the hosts pay in spectacular fashion, curling the ball over the wall and into the top corner.
With Dortmund pushing forward desperately, Inter struck again in stoppage time. Diouf, introduced moments earlier, finished off a counterattack to seal the 2–0 win and cap a disciplined, resilient performance from the Italian side.
Match Report: Borussia Dortmund 0–2 Inter
Scorers:
81’ Dimarco (Inter), 90+4’ Diouf (Inter)
Borussia Dortmund (3-4-2-1):
Kobel; Can, Schlotterbeck, Mané (Yan Couto 89’); Ryerson, Nmecha, Bellingham, Bensebaini; Beier, Fábio Silva; Guirassy (Adeyemi 68’).
Head coach: Niko Kovač.
Inter (3-5-2):
Sommer; Akanji, Acerbi, Bisseck; Luis Henrique, Sucic (Bastoni 88’), Zielinski (Frattesi 74’), Mkhitaryan (Diouf 88’), Dimarco; Bonny (Pio Esposito 57’), Thuram (Lautaro Martínez 88’).
Head coach: Cristian Chivu.
Referee: István Kovács
Yellow cards: Akanji, Acerbi (Inter); Bensebaini (Borussia Dortmund)
