Wednesday at 9 p.m., PSG faces Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park in the semi-final first leg of the Champions League. The Parisians, complete and full of confidence, find a vengeful BVB that they have already faced during the group stage (a victory and a draw). To play the second final in their history at Wembley, the Parisians must overcome the obstacle of the “Yellow Wall”.
Published on: 01/05/2024 – 07:20 Modified on: 01/05/2024 – 17:26
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A double confrontation between Borussia Dortmund and PSG. The European spring has the air of autumn for PSG, which won (2-0) at the Parc des Princes in September before drawing in December in Dortmund, against BVB (1-1). This Wednesday, May 1 at 9 p.m., it is the first round of a Champions League semi-final which will be played in North Rhine-Westphalia, east of the Ruhr industrial basin.
Since the start of this European campaign, water has flowed under the bridges of the Seine. Exit PSG orphaned by the departure of two of its stars – Neymar and Messi – which made Luis Enrique say in September that the Champions League “is not an obsession”. Now, the Parisian coach is “convinced (that Paris) will really fight and that (he) will go to the final”, as he declared on April 27 after the Ligue 1 match against Le Havre.
LiveBorussia Dortmund – PSG: follow the Champions League semi-final first leg
It must be said that the Parisian club sold its skin dearly in the quarter-finals to have a chance to face Dortmund on Wednesday. Defeated by FC Barcelona in the first leg at the Parc des Princes (2-3), PSG finally overthrew the Catalans on the return leg (4-1) and thwarted a statistic : before them, no French club had qualified in C1 after losing the first leg at home.
But this turnaround is not enough to impress Borussia Dortmund, who experienced a similar scenario in the previous round: BVB lost to Atlético Madrid (2-1) before overthrowing the colchoneros at home during of the return match (4-2 victory).
A complete PSG, strong on all lines
We will therefore not have to look down on this team which has progressed throughout the season, which is what Parisian striker Bradley Barcola did by being cautious when talking about the Ruhr club. with UEFA : “We have already played them twice this season. We know it’s a very good team. We will prepare well. We will train hard to play these two matches.”
For this semi-final first leg, all the lights are green for PSG: confident and calm in recent weeks, crowned Ligue 1 champions last weekend, and a full group for this trip to Germany. “We have shown that we are a very difficult team to beat, technically, tactically, mentally. The statistics are there,” summarized Luis Enrique.
And the Parisian coach can currently count on several strong forces within his locker room. Starting with his defensive quartet Hakimi-Marquinhos-Hernandez-Mendes expected to start against Dortmund. These four players, although they have only been aligned twice this season, provide certainty in defense, as explained to the Team Éric Rabesandratana, former Parisian defender and captain (1997-2001): “In terms of defensive craft and experience, it’s what’s best at the club.”
In addition to Fabian Ruiz, Vitinha and Warren Zaire-Emery have established themselves as sure values of the Parisian midfield. The Portuguese sentinel of PSG drives his team’s play and knows how to be decisive – he was a scorer in both matches against FC Barcelona. The French international confirms that at 18 years old he is a nugget of the club, capable of breaking the lines and also of carrying his team when necessary – he notably signed the Parisian equalizer… in Dortmund on December 13 , preventing PSG from premature elimination from the Champions League.
In attack, Kylian Mbappé continues to get the job done – as evidenced by his decisive double against Barça – even if he will leave the club at the end of the season. Bradley Barcola has seen his status evolve this season: arriving as a joker in the capital club, he is now a starter and never stops repeating puzzling runs on his wing for his opponents, like by Ousmane Dembélé – whose welcome promises to be fresh in Dortmund.
For Dortmund, “the main thing is that we have a chance” to qualify
So many forces which, aligned together, make Bradley Barcola say that PSG’s greatest strength “is (its) collective”: “Really, we have a very big collective, we manage to do everything together. We all defend, we all attack. I think that’s really what makes us a very good team this year and that we manage to do such good things.”
And even before Wednesday’s match is played, PSG is designated as the favorite for the duel against Dortmund. Even former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger sees “a balance of power favorable to Parisians”.
62% – Paris is the team most likely to reach the 2023/24 Champions League final according to Opta’s predictive model (62%). Optimism? pic.twitter.com/FcPjoMlBp4
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) April 30, 2024
This would, however, forget that the BVB also has serious assets to thwart PSG’s plans. Starting with this eye-opening statistic: Dortmund have not lost at home for almost three years in the Champions League. The impressive “Yellow Wall” – the largest standing stand in Europe with its 24,500 seats – is certainly no stranger to the German club’s good performances at home.
The Ruhr club also has in its ranks several talented players capable of making a difference, including left back Ian Maatsen. Loaned this winter by Chelsea, the Dutch defender is unanimous in Dortmund and could well see himself going to Wembley on June 1st. “Of course I dream, but first we have to play against PSG,” cautiously declared the main interested party.
The BVB will also be able to count on the return to form of a returner, Jadon Sancho. The English winger, on loan this winter from Manchester United, found his offensive marks in a Ruhr club that he had already frequented for several seasons before leaving for England. But he is cautious before facing PSG: “We must remain humble in these times. Paris is again a difficult test for us and we have to give everything to get to the final,” he summarized on the Dortmund website.
Caution, certainly, but the BVB is not necessarily defeatist before facing PSG, as its coach explained on Tuesday at a press conference: “I don’t care if we are favorites or outsiders, The main thing is that we have a chance. I think we have a chance, and if there is one, we have to take it,” said Edin Terzic. “Maybe we are the team with the least experience at this level of the competition, but who are the hungriest. Maybe that’s what we need to use to our advantage.”
The Borussia coach believes his players are capable of two successful matches against the Parisians, even if he knows that PSG “are now in top form”. And he recalls: “Against Atlético in the quarter-final second leg or in Munich on the road, we showed that we could play good matches, so we are confident in our ability to play two good matches.” The rest will be up to the 22 players to write on Tuesday May 7, in less than a week, during the return match.
