Arsenal cruise at the San Siro as Tottenham close in on last-16 place
Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal both strengthened their Champions League positions on Tuesday night with authoritative victories, as the penultimate round of league-phase fixtures continued to clarify the race for automatic qualification to the last 16.
Tottenham Hotspur shrugged off mounting domestic pressure with a composed 2–0 win over Borussia Dortmund in north London, a result that lifted them into fourth place and left them on the brink of qualification. First-half goals from captain Cristian Romero and Dominic Solanke proved sufficient against a Dortmund side that played more than 70 minutes with 10 men following Daniel Svensson’s red card.
The victory eased the strain on head coach Thomas Frank, whose position has been under scrutiny after Tottenham’s struggles in the Premier League, where they have won just twice at home all season. In contrast, their Champions League form at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has been flawless, with four wins from four matches and no goals conceded.
Romero opened the scoring inside 15 minutes with a close-range finish after Wilson Odobert’s delivery, before Solanke marked his first Champions League appearance since 2017–18 by bundling in a second shortly before the break. Dortmund rarely threatened thereafter, with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario required to make only one notable save in the second half.
The result means Tottenham will secure a top-eight finish and direct passage to the last 16 with a win away at Eintracht Frankfurt in the final round. Dortmund, level on points at the start of the night, now face a more precarious route and are likely to need the playoffs.
While Tottenham steadied their European campaign, Arsenal continued their imperious run with a 3–1 victory over Inter Milan at the San Siro, making it seven wins from seven in the competition. A first-half double from Gabriel Jesus and a late strike by substitute Viktor Gyokeres sealed a performance that guarantees Arsenal a top-two finish in the league phase and home advantage in the knockout rounds through to the semi-finals.
Jesus, making his first start of the campaign in Europe, opened the scoring after 10 minutes by turning in Jurrien Timber’s effort from close range. Inter responded through Petar Sucic’s powerful strike from the edge of the area, but Arsenal regained control before half-time when Bukayo Saka’s corner was recycled by Leandro Trossard for Jesus to head home unmarked.
Inter pushed for an equaliser after the break and created several chances, but Arsenal remained composed and sealed the win six minutes from time. Gyokeres latched onto Gabriel Martinelli’s long pass and curled a superb finish into the top corner, underlining the visitors’ attacking depth.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta praised his side’s maturity and intensity, while last season’s finalists Inter slipped to ninth in the standings after a third consecutive defeat, leaving their hopes of automatic qualification in jeopardy.
With one round remaining, Arsenal sit clear at the summit, Tottenham are firmly in control of their own destiny, and the battle for the remaining top-eight places is set for a tense conclusion.
Tuesday night’s results
Kairat (0) 1 Club Brugge (2) 4
Bodø / Glimt (2) 3 Manchester City (0) 1
København (0) 1 Napoli (1) 1
Internazionale (1) 1 Arsenal (2) 3
Olympiakos Piraeus (2) 2 Bayer Leverkusen (0) 0
Real Madrid (2) 6 Monaco (0) 1
Sporting CP (0) 2 Paris Saint-Germain (0) 1
Tottenham Hotspur (2) 2 Borussia Dortmund (0) 0
Villarreal (0) 1 Ajax (0) 2
Wednesday, January 21 fixtures (local time)
Galatasaray v Atlético de Madrid (1945)
Qarabağ v Eintracht Frankfurt (1945)
Atalanta v Athletic Club (2200)
Chelsea v Pafos (2200)
Bayern München v Union Saint-Gilloise (2200)
Juventus v Benfica (2200)
Newcastle United v PSV (2200)
Olympique Marseille v Liverpool (2200)
Slavia Praha v Barcelona (2200)