Chivu: ‘Inter want victory and to be dominant’ with Borussia Dortmund | OneFootball

Cristian Chivu assures Inter will visit Borussia Dortmund ‘to win and be dominant’ in the Champions League, but Nicolò Barella is out and Lautaro Martinez could be benched.

It kicks off at the Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund on Wednesday at 20.00 GMT (21.00 CET).

The Nerazzurri had been flying high after winning their first four Champions League games, but the form took a massive dive when losing the next three on the bounce against Atletico Madrid, Liverpool and Arsenal.

Chivu recognises Inter’s European slide

MILAN, ITALY – JANUARY 20: FC Internazionale coach Cristian Chivu issues instructions to his players during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD7 match between FC Internazionale Milano and Arsenal FC at Stadio San Siro on January 20, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

“This is a different competition to Serie A, and we are a big behind,” Chivu told Sky Sport Italia.

“We had initially been doing better than expectations, then made life difficult for ourselves and the situation now is not ideal.

“Now we want to put in a great performance to bring home the results that we’ve been lacking recently.”

GENOA, ITALY – DECEMBER 14: Cristian Chivu, head coach of Inter, issues Piotr Zielinski of Inter some instructions during the Serie A match between Genoa CFC and FC Internazionale at Luigi Ferraris Stadium on December 14, 2025 in Genoa, Italy. (Photo by Simone Arveda/Getty Images)

Inter slipped out of the top eight, meaning they might have to go through the play-offs in February, an extra two matches that the club could really do without.

“We will have the same mentality as always, stepping onto the pitch to win and to be dominant, then at the final whistle we’ll see where we are,” noted Chivu.

“Borussia Dortmund have a strong tradition in Europe, being one of the top teams, and there are frankly few opponents that manage to win in this stadium. We’ll try to do our best to bring home the result.”

MILAN, ITALY – JANUARY 11: Cristian Chivu, Head Coach of FC Internazionale Milano, reacts during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and SSC Napoli at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on January 11, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

There are some changes forced on Inter, as Barella has not even made the trip to Dortmund after sustaining a muscular problem.

“We decided not to risk him, as he had this setback in training and we left him at home to recover,” confessed Chivu.

Captain Lautaro Martinez could also be benched, and not just because he is one yellow card away from a potential ban.

“We don’t have time to make these kinds of calculations, as we play so often. We’ll try to pick the best possible line-up. Does that mean Lautaro will start? I don’t know.”