PSG vs Borussia Dortmund LIVE: Champions League result and reaction as Mats Hummels sends visitors into final
Dortmund hold a one-goal advantage heading into the match after their victory in the first leg
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Borussia Dortmund reach the Champions League final. They’ve beaten Paris Saint-Germain twice, 1-0 in each leg of this semi-final tie to become the first team to secure their place in the European showpiece at Wembley in June.
On a frustrating night for PSG the hosts were unable to convert a flurry of chances to overturn the existing deficit. With the forward line lacking a clinical touch it was left to Gianluigi Donnarumma to deny Karim Adeyemi the opening goal with a reactionary save in the first half.
Yet, it was the visitors who eventually broke the deadlock. From a corner, Mats Hummels drifted behind Lucas Beraldo and headed the ball into the back of the net to, momentarily, silence the home supporters.
Dortmund boss, Edin Terzic, then made changes and switched to a back five formation which afforded PSG lots of possession. Cross after cross came into the box with the French side hitting the woodwork four times inside the 90 minutes. The ball wouldn’t go in though and Dortmund held on to keep their European title hopes alive.
Relive the Champions League action below plus get the latest PSG vs Dortmund odds and tips right here:
What happened in the first leg?
Borussia Dortmund claimed a 1-0 first-leg win courtesy of Niclas Fullkrug’s fine first-half finish, a rare spark of quality on a night that promised much and delivered less in terms of goals scored.
Kylian Mbappé and Achraf Hakimi were both denied by the woodwork as Paris pressed for an equaliser but Dortmund clung on to pole position ahead of the return.
“That’s football,” said Paris coach Luis Enrique after the match. “Sometimes it’s wonderful, and then other times, that’s how it goes. We’ll have to analyse the chances created by both teams.”
Where is the 2024 Champions League final?
The European champions will be crowned at the conclusion of the 2023/24 Champions League season with the final being held at London’s prestigious Wembley Stadium on Saturday 1 June.
The winners gain a place in the 2024/25 Champions League group stage, if they have not qualified via their domestic competition.
Dortmund coach, Edin Terzić, speaking ahead of the game:
“You have to earn your way to Wembley. All we need now is a draw in the second leg, but we also want to win.
“We have a small lead and a good opportunity. We have to do everything together - with a good plan, with a good idea. Paris will certainly be better than last week.
“We want to earn this ticket to the final. We will tackle that together.”
Pre-match thoughts from PSG caoch Luis Enrique
“The goal is to reach the final, and to do that we have to be better than a great team like Dortmund. There is always room for improvement and we have worked on it.
“Two goals can be scored in three seconds, but we can also concede two goals in that time. ‘On va a gagner’. It’s the only phrase I know in French:
“We are going to win.”
The contradiction at the heart of Borussia Dortmund’s unlikely Champions League fairytale
The fifth best team in Germany are one of the four best in Europe. In one respect, anyway. Welcome to the confusing world of Borussia Dortmund, at their highest ebb in continental competition for more than a decade and set for their lowest Bundesliga finish in nine years.
The surprise Champions League semi-finalists gained more than just a first-leg lead against Paris Saint-Germain last week. In a world of coefficient calculations, their victory made it mathematically certain Germany will have five places in next year’s Champions League. And Dortmund are fifth, unlikely to finish higher, guaranteed not to come lower.
The alternative method into next season’s Champions League, which would have long sounded too implausible to invoke, entails winning this year’s competition.
Now Dortmund are a draw and a win away from a triumph that would be a throwback: to the days when, in 1997, they were the underdogs who won the final, or 1982 and 2005 when Aston Villa and Liverpool could finish 30 and 37 points respectively behind the winners of their domestic leagues and yet conquer Europe. Some 24 points off the pace in Germany, Dortmund are not the finest team in North Rhine-Westphalia, let alone Europe. And yet they are two results from a glory few envisaged.
The contradiction at the heart of Dortmund’s unlikely Champions League fairytale
Dortmund are not even the best team in North Rhine-Westphalia, yet are two results from unlikely European glory as they prepare to face PSG in their semi-final second leg
PSG vs Dortmund prediction
Borussia Dortmund managed to come away with a win in the first leg though they could only muster one goal at Signal Iduna Park which may come back to haunt them this evening.
It will be a different and difficult atmosphere in the Parc des Princes and one that should encourage PSG to go on the attack. If Dortmund can score they’ll be the favourites to progress but the more likely scenario is the the hosts cut the deficit and sneak through with the help of a clean sheet.
PSG 2-0 Dortmund (2-1 agg).
PSG vs Dortmund predicted line-ups
PSG XI: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Beraldo, Mendes; Zaïre-Emery, Vitinha, Fabián Ruiz; Dembélé, Mbappé, Barcola
Dortmund XI: Kobel; Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Maatsen; Can, Sabitzer; Adeyemi, Brandt, Sancho; Füllkrug
What is the early team news?
PSG are without Lucas Hernandez, who ruptured his ACL in the first leg and has been ruled out on this summer’s Euros as a result. Presnell Kimbembe remains out too, which means Brazil international Lucas Beraldo is likely to come in to defence and Nuno Mendes will once again have to face Jadon Sancho.
Borussia Dortmund could be unchanged from the first leg. Julien Duranville and Ramy Bensebaini are out but they have no other fitness issues.
How to watch PSG vs Dortmund
The match will kick off at 8pm BST (9pm local) at the Parc des Princes, Paris.
It will be shown live on TNT Sports 1, while customers can also stream the action live on discovery+. You can purchase a TNT Sports subscription via discovery+ here, for only £30.99 per month.
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Good afternoon!
Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of tonight’s Champions League action as the semi-finals continue with the second leg of Paris Saint-Germain’s tie against Borussia Dortmund.
This evening’s encounter takes place at the Parc des Princes in Paris with Dortmund bringing a slim one-goal advantage into the game after Niclas Fullkrug’s winning strike a week ago.
The match at the Signal Iduna Park saw both teams create and miss plenty of chances in an open affair that could have swung either way if the attackers were more clinical. Dortmund were encouraged by the Yellow Wall of supporters a week ago but this evening they will be up against PSG home support who will believe a comeback is on the cards.
Paris defender Lucas Hernandez misses the match due to a ruptured ACL but Luis Enrique’s side will be more than ready to overturn their deficit and make a run for the final at Wembley.
We’ll have all the updates, team news and live action throughout the evening so stick around as we build up to kick off at 8pm.
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