Mkhitaryan reminded Dortmund what they lost: a top match and praise from Italian media

In Matchday 8 of the Champions League, Inter Milan defeated Borussia Dortmund 2–0 away from home. The goals were scored by Federico Dimarco and Diouf.

The 37-year-old Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan started the match and played 88 minutes against his former club, where he once became a true star. The experienced midfielder was one of the key figures in central areas, and his solo run in the 80th minute led to a free kick from which Dimarco opened the scoring.

Mkhitaryan’s match stats:
Minutes played: 88
Accurate passes: 52 (90%)
Successful dribbles: 3/3
Fouls won: 2
Possessions lost: 10
Tackles: 1
Clearances: 3
Ball recoveries: 7
Duels won: 7/9
Aerial duels: 1/2
SofaScore rating: 7.4

What the Italian media wrote about Mkhitaryan

Sport Virgilio — 7
Confirmed his vast experience. Tried to supply the forwards with passes, with mixed success. It was he who won the free kick that Dimarco turned into gold.

Eurosport — 6.5
Tried to speed up Inter’s play, though not very effectively. Still, he played an important match in terms of containing the opponent, sacrificing flair for the team’s benefit. Won the foul that led to Dimarco’s goal.

FCInter1908 — 7
At the stadium where he was once a star, he was the best in midfield. He earned the free kick for Dimarco’s goal. All counterattacks started through him.

Tuttomercatoweb — 6.5
A guarantee of quality: every action showed intelligent thinking. Shared playmaking duties with Zieliński, though he couldn’t provide major attacking support.

Calciomercato — 6.5
Had a good match. Among the midfielders, he most often found space between the lines, causing serious problems for Dortmund.

90min — 6.5
Proved that age is just a number. Even after 80 minutes, he had the energy to make a run and win the decisive free kick.

Leggo — 7
A good burst early on and a big defensive workload. Valuable thanks to his tactical intelligence. Won the decisive free kick with a central run.

L’Interista — 6.5
Tactically the best player on the pitch: with his football brain, he compensated for a couple of mistakes caused by a lack of freshness.

This match was Mkhitaryan’s second appearance in Dortmund since leaving Borussia, but his first in an official match. The previous time he played here was in 2024, in Łukasz Piszczek’s farewell game.

Interestingly, Henrikh has faced Borussia only once before — in 2016 with Manchester United at a friendly tournament in China.