A spot in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 will be on the lines when Borussia Dortmund and PSG clash on Wednesday.
The UEFA Champions League Group Stage will end on Wednesday with the last eight fixtures of Matchday 6. The Group of Death has produced some fascinating results thus far this season, and one of the games this week will see Borussia Dortmund and PSG locking horns at Signal Iduna Park.
Borussia Dortmund might not have foreseen topping Group F of the UEFA Champions League after the draws. The Black and Yellows have stitched together a four-match unbeaten run after losing the opening game to PSG. So, with the other clubs faltering, they have made hay while the sun shone.
But Edin Terzic’s men do not come into this game in top form after failing to win their last three games. One of those results dumped Borussia Dortmund out of the DFB Pokal. On the other hand, PSG will head into Wednesday’s match on the back of an eight-match winning run in Ligue 1, with the latest victory coming against Nantes.
But the French champions have won only one of their four Champions League games since beating Borussia Dortmund in the opening week. That has left Les Parisiens in a precarious position, with both clubs below them, who face each other on Wednesday, in the standings in a position to finish second in Group F.
The reverse fixture saw PSG beating Borussia Dortmund 2-0, with Kylian Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi finding the back of the net. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Borussia Dortmund
Edin Terzic has many pressing issues hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against PSG on Wednesday, the Borussia Dortmund manager might be bereft of the services of as many as seven first-team players.
Julien Duranville (thigh), Julian Ryerson (knee), Felix Nmecha (hip), and Youssoufa Moukoko (thigh) remain in the treatment room. In addition, Terzic is sweating over the fitness of Marius Wolf (ankle), Marcel Sabitzer (calf), and Sebastien Haller (knee).
Gregor Kobel will take his spot between the sticks, with Borussia Dortmund lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him. Marius Wolf will start as the right-back if he is fit enough to feature. If not, Niklas Sule will start as the right-back, joining Mats Hummels, Nico Schlotterbeck, and Ramy Bensebaini.
Bensebaini will have added responsibility in the final third if Wolf is unavailable. As for the midfield unit, Salih Ozcan will line up alongside captain Emre Can in the double pivot. The duo will look to keep things tight in the middle of the park, aiming to cut off the supply line to Kylian Mbappe.
The offensive unit will have a compact look, with the quartet creating overloads in the final third. Niclas Fullkrug will likely spearhead the Borussia Dortmund attack against PSG, with Marco Reus, Julian Brandt, and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens forming the supporting cast for the German international.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kobel; Sule, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Can, Ozcan; Reus, Brandt, Bynoe-Gittens; Fullkrug
PSG
Unlike his counterpart in the Borussia Dortmund dugout, Luis Enrique has a new roster issue to deal with ahead of the trip to the Signal Iduna Park. The PSG manager will be without five first-team players on Wednesday.
Ousmane Dembele is the latest absentee, with the French international serving a suspension due to accumulation of yellow cards. Dembele has joined Keylor Navas (back), Sergio Rico (head), Presnel Kimpembe (Achilles), and Nuno Mendes (hamstring) on the sidelines.
PSG will line up in a 4-3-3 formation against Borussia Dortmund, with Gianluigi Donnarumma taking his spot between the sticks. The backline should feature Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Milan Skriniar, and Lucas Hernandez. Hakimi’s output in the final third will hold the key.
As for the midfield unit, Manuel Ugarte will hold the fort in the middle of the park. Vitinha and Lee Kang-in will support the Uruguayan international, with the former providing the forward thrust. Finally, Randal Kolo Muani will spearhead the PSG attack, with Bradley Barcola and Kylian Mbappe completing the numbers in the offensive unit.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Skriniar, Hernandez; Lee, Ugarte, Vitinha; Barcola, Kolo Muani, Mbappe
Key Stats
- Borussia Dortmund have won only one of the five previous meetings with PSG in major European competitions (D2 L2).
- PSG lost 2-1 at Borussia Dortmund in the 2019/20 Round of 16. That is one of six defeats across 13 visits to Germany in UEFA competition (W5 D1).
- Borussia Dortmund have — like Arsenal and Barcelona — conceded just three goals across their first five group matches. Only Real Sociedad have shipped fewer (two).
- PSG have lost their last three away Champions League games. They have never previously lost on four successive road trips in major European competitions.
- Kylian Mbappe has been involved in at least one goal in all four of his Champions League starts against Borussia Dortmund (four goals, one assist). Only Cristiano Ronaldo (seven) has ever scored more goals against the Black and Yellows in the competition.
Player to Watch
Niclas Fullkrug
Unlike the best clubs in the world, the Borussia Dortmund squad does not have a goal machine. The Black and Yellows hoped they were getting that in Niclas Fullkrug when they signed him from Werder Bremen this past summer. But that has not been the case this term.
Fullkrug has managed only six goals and four assists in 18 matches in all competitions thus far this season for Dortmund, a far cry from his output last term. But his performance levels have improved in the last few weeks, and Edin Terzic will hope he retains his form this midweek against Paris Saint-Germain.
Prediction
Borussia Dortmund 2-2 PSG
Borussia Dortmund’s form heading into the game against PSG this midweek might not fill the fans up with confidence. But losing on Wednesday will mean the Black and Yellows drop to second in Group F due to an inferior head-to-head record. So, Edin Terzic will set his team up to not lose on Wednesday, which will frustrate a desperate PSG.
In addition, the Ligue 1 champions have a horrible recent record on the road. In the end, there might not be much to separate Borussia Dortmund and PSG, who will play a 2-2 draw at Signal Iduna Park. So, Newcastle United will have a chance to reach the Round of 16 by beating AC Milan on Wednesday.
