<p style="text-align: center;"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.soccernews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-22.48.40-300x200.png" alt="" width="600" height="400" class="alignnone wp-image-395428" srcset="https://www.soccernews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-22.48.40-300x200.png 300w, https://www.soccernews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-22.48.40-1024x682.png 1024w, https://www.soccernews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-22.48.40-768x512.png 768w, https://www.soccernews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-22.48.40.png 1276w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"/></p>Goals from Federico Dimarco and Andy Diouf in the second half propelled Inter to a 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund, although it wasn’t sufficient for the Nerazzurri to secure an automatic spot in the Champions League Round of 16.
Following a challenging first half at Signal Iduna Park, Dimarco impressed with a stunning free-kick goal with just ten minutes remaining, putting Inter momentarily in the top eight of the standings.
By the time Diouf added a second goal, however, Inter had already dropped to 10th place and will now need to compete in the play-offs against either Bodo/Glimt or Benfica, the latter of whom achieved a dramatic late 4-2 victory against Real Madrid thanks to a last-minute strike from goalkeeper Anatoly Trubin.
The first half was quite memorable. Dortmund, who finished 17th and will face either Atalanta or Bayer Leverkusen, saw Selhou Guirassy miss a chance as he shot directly at Jan Sommer after the ball bounced into the area.
Ange-Youan Bony also missed a free header just before the half-time whistle, but Dimarco salvaged the moment with his exceptional free-kick that curled beautifully into the right side of the net.
In the second half, Dortmund was caught out from a throw-in, allowing Inter to send the ball to Diouf, whose tame shot grazed Jobe Bellingham but still found the bottom right corner.
We scored all 3 points on the road, #UCL The journey continues! pic.twitter.com/gK1T0MWyBa
— Inter (@Inter_en) January 28, 2026
Performance Highlights: Diouf Channels France and Inter Legends
The match appeared destined for a stalemate until Dimarco scored his second Champions League goal in 43 appearances.
In the final minutes, Diouf made his mark by scoring his first goal in this prestigious tournament during just his fourth appearance, making him the fifth French player to find the net for Inter in the Champions League, following in the footsteps of Markus Thuram (seven goals), Benjamin Pavard, Youri Djorkaeff, and Patrick Vieira (with one goal each).
This win also marks Inter’s notable achievement of defeating Bayern Munich 2-1 at Allianz Arena in the first leg of last season’s quarter-finals, as it becomes their first instance of back-to-back away victories against German teams in Champions League history.
Fan Take: This victory signifies a pivotal moment for Inter as they navigate the Champions League, showcasing emerging talents like Diouf who can parallel the greats. For fans, it not only instills hope for future successes but also highlights the evolving landscape of European soccer, where fresh players can change the game’s narrative.
