Dimarco dazzles, Diouf seals it: Borussia Dortmund vs Inter stats

Inter close out the UEFA Champions League League Phase with a prestigious 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park, thanks to goals from Federico Dimarco and Andy Diouf. The Nerazzurri finish in 10th place. That finish secures them a spot in the knockout-stage playoff draw as a seeded team, where they will face either Benfica or Bodø/Glimt. A truly European night, reflected both on the pitch and in the stats.

NERAZZURRI STATS

The win against Dortmund backs up Inter's impressive away form in the Champions League. The Nerazzurri have won six of their last eight European away games (excluding neutral venues), with just one draw and one loss, matching the number of wins they achieved in the previous fifteen matches. The result also adds another positive stat in the head-to-head record against Borussia Dortmund: Inter have remained unbeaten in four of the five previous encounters in the UEFA Champions League and European Cup, with three wins and one draw, and have won three of the last four meetings.

Dimarco’s goal also makes club history: Inter have scored from a direct free kick in a Champions League away game for the first time since 6 April 2010, when Wesley Sneijder found the net against CSKA Moscow.

THE FEDERICO DIMARCO SHOW

Federico Dimarco continues to be a standout playeras of Inter’s season. His stunning left-footed free kick paved the way for victory in Germany and underlines his incredible numbers: he is the only defender in Europe’s top five leagues to have more than five goals and more than five assists across all competitions this season, with a current tally of six goals and seven assists. On top of that, it was a special night personally for the No. 32, as he wore the captain’s armband for the first time this season.

Dimarco’s goal in Dortmund also has a historic European significance. The last Italian to score from a direct free kick in the UEFA Champions League was Francesco Totti for Roma against CSKA Moscow on 25 November 2014. Looking specifically at defenders, the last to achieve it for an Italian club was Dani Alves with Juventus against Dinamo Zagreb.

DIOUF'S FIRST

In the closing stages, Andy Diouf also enjoyed a personal milestone, putting the finishing touch on Inter’s victory. The goal was his first in the UEFA Champions League, achieved in just his fourth appearance in the competition and his second wearing the Inter shirt, a milestone that reflects his growing impact on the team’s European campaign.

ACERBI'S STATS

Francesco Acerbi also put out a top-level performance, standing out with flawless build-up play. The defender completed all 44 of his attempted passes, finishing the match with 100% accuracy. That puts him among the very best in Inter’s Champions League history: since 2003/04, only Milan Skriniar against Viktoria Plzen in 2022 and Javier Zanetti against Tottenham in 2010 have completed more passes while keeping a perfect passing rate.