UEFA Champions League Preview: Borussia Dortmund vs Inter – Team News, Lineups & Prediction | OneFootball

Signal Iduna Park forms the backdrop for a mouth-watering UEFA Champions League showdown between Borussia Dortmund and Inter. The stakes are at an all-time high, as both teams vie for a sought-after top-eight finish.

Only a point separates the sides ahead of the kick-off, with Inter sitting 14th in the standings, a point adrift of eighth-placed Chelsea. Trailing their upcoming rivals by one, Dortmund will be out to bounce back from a pair of winless European outings (D1, L1).

However, a win may not be enough to seal their automatic last-16 progression. Indeed, both teams need a raft of favorable results to avoid the knockout playoffs. The hosts recovered from a dismal 2-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur last time out with a 3-0 rout of Union Berlin over the weekend.

Meanwhile, Inter overturned a two-goal deficit in a 6-2 thrashing of Serie A minnows Pisa on Friday, extending their lead at the top of the table to five points. Despite their dominant league form, Cristian Chivu’s men have recently faltered on the continental front, losing their last three matches on the trot.

Arsenal humbled the Nerazzurri 3-1 at Stadio San Siro last week, casting major doubt on their hopes of securing back-to-back top-eight finishes. Inter can at least take heart from already locking down a knockout spot, courtesy of a four-game winning start to their first European season under Chivu.

Match Preview

Borussia Dortmund

Despite boasting the competition’s fourth-best scoring record, having bagged 19 goals this season, Dortmund are likely to miss out on an automatic last-16 berth. Indeed, the Bundesliga giants trail Chelsea by two points after a poor run of just one win from their last four Champions League games (D1, L2).

Another clash against a team from Europe’s traditional top-five leagues could inflict further damage on Dortmund’s continental form. Die Borussen’s last 11 defeats in the Champions League came against such opposition, highlighting just how difficult it has been for them to compete against top teams.

That said, Niko Kovac’s charges have thrived at Signal Iduna Park, transforming their home venue into a fortress. You don’t need to look beyond Dortmund’s remarkable run of just one defeat from their last 21 Champions League home matches to understand the magnitude of the task awaiting Inter tonight.

Inter

Inter’s ‘big game’ syndrome came to the fore last week, as Arsenal brushed them aside on their home turf. Chivu’s men have now lost all three high-profile Champions League contests, having previously suffered defeats against Atletico Madrid and Liverpool. However, Inter’s bad luck stretches beyond Europe’s elite club competition.

They haven’t beaten an elite rival since defeating Milan in April 2024, going winless across their last ten Serie A encounters against Juventus, Napoli, and the Rossoneri. Needless to say, Chivu is still waiting for his first ‘big match’ triumph in charge of Inter, as the Nerazzurri stare down the barrel of four successive Champions League losses for the first time in club history.

On the bright side, the visitors have won their last five competitive outings outside San Siro, excluding fixtures played on neutral ground. Furthermore, the Serie A pacesetters have racked up an eye-catching six clean sheets across their last ten away games in all competitions, setting themselves up perfectly for this meeting.

Team News

Dortmund left-back Daniel Svensson serves a one-game suspension for accumulated yellow cards, meaning Ramy Bensebaini is likely to return to the starting lineup. Niklas Sule and Marcel Sabitzer are in the pits, with Julian Brandt expected to start in midfield, supporting lone striker Serhou Guirassy.

On the other hand, Inter took this trip without long-term absentees Denzel Dumfries and Hakan Calhanoglu. As if their absences weren’t concerning enough, Chivu lost star midfielder Nicolo Barella to injury on Monday. Therefore, Petar Sucic is likely to fill the midfield gap at the expense of out-of-favor Davide Frattesi.

Borussia Dortmund vs Inter Potential Starting Lineups

Borussia Dortmund (3-4-2-1): Kobel; Anton, Can, Schlotterbeck; Ryerson, Bellingham, Nmecha, Bensebaini; Adeyemi, Brandt; Guirassy.

Inter (3-5-2): Sommer; Akanji, Acerbi, Bastoni; Henrique, Zielinski, Barella, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez.

Borussia Dortmund vs Inter Prediction

Inter squandered a two-goal lead in their last meeting with Dortmund, slumping to a frustrating 3-2 defeat in 2019. Though another high-scoring contest could be in store, the outcome might differ this time.

Despite Dortmund’s well-documented home prowess, this could be Inter’s best chance to break their ‘big game’ curse.