Champions League: Borussia Dortmund drops PSG and takes a step towards the final at Wembley

In the quest to reach the Wembley final on June 1, Borussia Dortmund moved a little closer this Wednesday. In the impressive Signal Iduna Park and this “yellow wall” of its supporters, which generates an incredible atmosphere before each home match, The German club beat Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals .

If there was one concept that could be used in the prequel, it was contrast, as the two casts navigate opposing realities. Dortmund are fifth in the Bundesliga, 24 points behind the champion Bayer Leverkusen , and today its presence in the next Champions League is not assured. For its part, PSG is already the monarch of Ligue 1 again (no news) thanks to the defeat of Monaco this weekend. They are known because they faced each other in the group stage and both teams eliminated their Spanish rivals in the quarter-finals (Atlético Madrid and Barcelona respectively).

The Parisians have a new opportunity to get rid of the regret of not satisfying the great desire forged since the arrival of the Qatari capitals to control the club: to be European champion. During this period led by Nasser Al-Khelaifi, they only reached the final once (2020), which they lost to Bayern Munich in the midst of Covid-19. They confided in Kylian Mbappé, the ace of spades, who did not have his best day.

After a tight start, the first half saw a Dortmund team, uncomfortable with the visiting team’s layout, challenge them for possession of the ball. Of course, Luis Enrique’s PSG did not generate any risk in the rival area. Actually, During the first half, they did not take any shots on goal. As the minutes passed, those led by Edin Terzic matched their actions, finding spaces and attacking from the outside with the work of Sancho, right, and Adeyemi, left. The leaders did commendable physical work throughout the group.

The yellow and black team was more effective in the first 45 minutes, even if the flow of the match did not pass through them. In the 36th minute, the score opened with a goal from Niklas Füllkrug, who receives a long pass, controls and shoots a left-footed shot to beat Donnarumma. Marquinhos was hooked and allowed the big center forward, who left the Franco-Ivorian Sébastien Haller on the bench. Borussia Dortmund even managed to widen the gap before the break, but failed in the definition.

And Mbappé? The French star was neutralized during the first half by the German defense. Luis Enrique installed him in the center of the attack, occupying the 9th position, with the nuances of his game. He was unable to take advantage of the explosiveness and physical exuberance when he launched at full speed. In the second half, he appeared more in the game, without moving from the aforementioned spot.

In the 51st minute, it was the first risky opportunity in favor of PSG, a double shot on the post. Precisely, one of them was from Mbappé, which almost caused a tie. Then, in the 55th minute, Fabián Ruiz missed the ball alone, coming out of the middle. He didn’t hit the ball well. Paris controlled the actions and Dortmund did not hesitate to compact to get out quickly.

The panorama was open. It looked like another goal was coming, both goals. 1-1 and 2-0 were achievable and could be adjusted depending on the results of the match. For example, 10′ from the end, Dembélé missed the draw by taking a shot in front of Kobel’s goal.

Even if it is a minimal difference, Borussia Dortmund is taking a step towards the great definition of the Champions League. BVB has not reached the Champions League final since 2013 (precisely at Wembley), when Jürgen Klopp was the coach and had players like Lewandowski and Gündogan. The revenge will be played next Tuesday 7, in France. The next day, it’s the return of the clash between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, which they equalized 2-2 in Bavaria on Tuesday.