Overview
Despite the stumble in the previous match, both Borussia Dortmund and Inter are still on the way to winning tickets to the play-off round. Dortmund currently has 11 points, just 1 point behind the away team.
The 0-2 defeat at Tottenham's home ground seriously damaged BVB's hopes of going straight to the round of 16, pulling them down to 16th place when the group stage is only one leg away. Therefore, Niko Kovac's team needs to wait for a few more opponents above to stumble if they want to avoid the play-offs. However, letting Dortmund drop out of the top 24 at this time still requires an unbelievable series of results.
In the context of no longer being too worried about being eliminated, the Bundesliga representative can pour all their strength towards the milestone of 100th victory in the most prestigious arena in Europe. Dortmund is playing explosively in the Champions League this season. After scoring 4 goals against Athletic Bilbao, Villarreal and Copenhagen, they have a total of 19 goals - only behind Arsenal, Bayern Munich and the reigning champion PSG.
Although the away record is not really convincing, two wins and a draw at home continue to consolidate the "declaration" of invincibility at Signal Iduna Park. In the last 21 Champions League matches at home, Dortmund has only lost once.
On the domestic front, the 3-0 victory over Union Berlin last weekend helped BVB continue to chase Bayern Munich in the championship race, although the gap between the two teams is still 8 points. With a defensive foundation in the best group in the league (only one defeat and 10 clean sheets), Dortmund has grounds to believe they are strong enough to close Inter. BVB also defeated Inter in a very memorable way in the most recent meeting.
Although Inter is slightly better in head-to-head record with 2 wins compared to 1 in 6 encounters, they once lost the 2-goal lead in their most recent away match to Dortmund. In the 2019 group stage match, Inter took the lead but then lost 2-3, on the day Julian Brandt and Lautaro Martinez both scored - names that could reunite in the middle of this week.
Inter entered the final round of the group stage with a streak of three consecutive defeats in the Champions League, after winning all 4 opening matches. Coach Cristian Chivu's team - which has only lost 3/27 recent matches and has never lost 4 consecutive matches in Europe's number one playground - certainly wants to stop the decline, starting by avoiding a narrow defeat like the loss to Atletico Madrid.
Last week, Inter lost to Arsenal 1-3 at San Siro, falling to 14th place. However, they have secured a play-off spot and still have a chance to compete for the top 8. Having twice won the runner-up position in the past three years and had three times reached the top of Europe before that, Inter understands that they need to win, and at the same time wait for the teams above to stumble in the chaotic final round.
In Serie A, Inter is in a favorable position to reclaim the Scudetto after losing the title to Napoli last season and then succumbing to PSG in the Champions League final. The resounding 6-2 victory over Pisa helped them create a 5-point gap with AC Milan and 9 points compared to Napoli.
With a away record of Italy's best - winning 8/10 matches and conceding only 9 goals - Inter has the right to be confident when traveling to Germany, but still must be cautious in front of Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park fortress.
Expected lineup:
Kobel, Anton, Can, Schlotterbeck, Ryerson, Bellingham, Nmecha, Bensebaini, Adeyemi, Brandt, Guirassy.
Inter Milan: Sommer, Akanji, Acerbi, Bastoni, Henrique, Zielinski, Barella, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco, Thuram, Martinez.
The match between Dortmund and Inter Milan takes place at 3:00 AM on January 29 (Vietnam time).
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