Inter Milan beat Dortmund but both teams end up in playoffs

Inter Milan scored twice late in the game to earn a 2-0 victory over hosts Borussia Dortmund in their final league-phase match of the Champions League on Wednesday but it was not enough for a top-eight finish, with both teams going into February’s playoffs for a spot in the knockout stage.

Federico Dimarco curled in a sublime free kick in the 81st minute before Andy Diouf added another goal in stoppage time to snap Inter’s three-game losing run in the competition. Despite hopes before the game of a top-eight spot and automatic progress to the round of 16, Inter finished 10th on 15 points.

The Germans, who despite a golden early chance rarely got a look-in, will also go into the playoffs for a place in the round of 16, after finishing 17th on 11.

The top eight teams of the league phase qualify for the round of 16, with the next 16 going into the playoffs.

Dortmund should have taken the lead in the 11th minute when Serhou Guirassy was left completely unmarked with only Yann Sommer to beat, but the keeper stood his ground to deny the Guinea international.

Yann Bisseck responded with a double chance for Christian Chivu’s team five minutes later in an evenly balanced first half where each side had 50% possession and a shot on target.

Chances were few and far between after the break with the Italian hard-working defence giving the Germans little space to move. Even the introduction of forward Karim Adeyemi in the 68th did little for Dortmund.

It was Inter who upped the tempo in the final 20 minutes and they stunned the 81,365 sold-out crowd when Dimarco floated his freekick over the wall and past keeper Gregor Kobel for the lead.

With Dortmund desperate to find an equaliser, Inter struck again in stoppage time with Diouf dribbling past two Dortmund players in the box to slot in.