Inter Milan 2-0 Borussia Dortmund: 3 talking points

Inter Milan have put themselves firmly back in the reckoning for top two places in the group with a win over Borussia Dortmund. Antonio Conte's team went up by two goals in the second half, having created the lone major chance of the first half in the 22nd minute and taking it.

Dortmund started as the marginally better team, and it took a while before Inter started to develop a foothold. Many expected Dortmund to spark into life after conceding a goal, but Lucien Favre's team remained largely passive.

The introduction of Sebastiano Esposito and Cristiano Biraghi ensured that the Dortmund defence was kept occupied, and they didn't have the time to strike against Inter. Despite missing a penalty while leading 1-0, Inter Milan ended up on top.

Here are three talking points from the match:

#1 A patient Inter Milan

Antonio Conte directed a very obedient group of players against Dortmund

It was by no means an easy win for Inter Milan, but Borussia Dortmund did little to contribute in attack - thus making life simpler for the Nerazzurri. The home team kept their composure and ensured that every player knew their role perfectly.

Despite some difficult patches in the game, Inter Milan managed to stave off the little threat that Dortmund offered. In fact, they remained camped in their half for large chunks of the game and chose to exploit space in behind the Dortmund backline.

It was a strategy that required plenty of discipline and patience from Conte's men, and they rose to the occasion.

They weren't ruffled by a missed penalty and eventually added a second goal to serve as a cushion against a strong team. That more or less sealed the victory, but it might not have been the case if Inter Milan hadn't approached the situation patiently.

#2 Lautaro Martinez not made to rue penalty miss

Lautaro Martinez

Lautaro Martinez opened the scoring for his team midway through the first half after having controlled a ball with his chest and spinning to stretch for the ball and knocking it past Roman Burki.

The second time the two came up against each other, Burki emerged victorious by saving a penalty taken by Martinez. The Argentine would have rued this miss dearly if it had led to a loss, especially Dortmund's influence seemed to be growing. Inter would also have a couple of other chances to increase their lead but failed in their attempts.

It wasn't until Antonio Candreva's 89th-minute winner that Inter Milan could truly breathe a sigh of relief. Had there been a different result at the end of the night, Martinez's miss may have become more of a point of discussion - especially among Inter Milan fans.

#3 No spark in Dortmund's attack

Sancho was reduced to taking chances from small angles

A compact and organised Inter Milan defence played its role in keeping Borussia Dortmund quiet for most of the game. The likes of Jadon Sancho, Thorgan Hazard, Julian Brandt and others among the ranks have been hailed as creative minds on previous occasions but failed to create much at the San Siro.

Perhaps this team missed its talismanic captain Marco Reus, who has been sublime in attack for the Germans. That quick passing in tight areas and his ability to pick a pass were attributes that were missing from Dortmund's attack.

Even Achraf Hakimi and Nico Schulz, who on another day may have provided a more realistic threat as 'plan B', were not able to dictate play on the ball. Hakimi's runs forward were curbed by an Inter midfield that stretched from one end of the pitch to the other one without conceding space.