Inter Milan 2-0 Borussia Dortmund: 3 Reasons why Inter came out on top | Champions League 2019-20
Inter Milan revived their Champions League campaign with a 2-0 victory against Borussia Dortmund.
Following a disappointing draw against Slavia Prague and a narrow defeat to Barcelona, Antonio Conte's side were in desperate need of all three points as they looked to stay alive in the competition.
A Lautaro Martinez strike midway through the first half gave Inter the lead, which they held on to gamely for the most part.
Although Dortmund did carve out a couple of half-chances, they never looked truly threatening and Inter were content to sit back and protect their lead.
Martinez went from hero to zero in the 83rd minute when he saw his spot-kick saved by Roman Burki. However, the miss did not prove costly as Antonio Candreva sealed the victory with a well-taken finish just minutes before the final whistle.
The win moves Inter to the second spot in Group F, level on points with Dortmund and three behind table-toppers Barcelona.
On that note, here's a look at three reasons behind Inter's triumph on the night:
#1 Defensive organisation
Inter have looked quite shaky in recent times. They've failed to keep a clean sheet in their last four games, and even shipped in three to Sassuolo this past weekend.
However, in this encounter, Conte set his side out with a clear plan: defend in numbers, and hit Dortmund on the break.
That tactic worked to perfection as Inter's back three of Diego Godin, Stefan de Vrij and Milan Skriniar kept Dortmund at bay for the most part.
The visitors hardly created any clear-cut chances in the opening period. And despite showing massive improvement in the second half, they failed to break down a stubborn Inter backline.