PSG and Borussia Dortmund reconvene to conclude their UEFA Champions League semi-final clash at Parc des Princes on Tuesday.
Last week, a first-half Niclas Fullkrug goal gave Borussia Dortmund a slender advantage over PSG heading into the return leg in Paris. The home side then were far superior to Les Parisiens, something Luis Enrique might want to change at the Parc des Prices on Tuesday night.
PSG did not take their chances at Westfalenstadion, and that will be something Enrique might have regretted after the game against Borussia Dortmund. However, the lead is only a slender one, and the manager will have full faith in his team and the quality of players to overturn or at least give a fair fight on Tuesday.
In fact, PSG had more days of rest as they did not play league football on the weekend, with Dortmund’s first leg being their last competitive game. Hence, PSG will have no excuses coming into this clash, and making it to the final with a win over Borussia Dortmund will do their fans and the manager well.
Edin Terzic will want a solid defensive performance in the reverse leg, as the Dortmund manager will wish to his players to take responsibility on the pitch and protect the slender lead. His side has more attacking principles, which will see them go toe-to-toe with the Parisians, which will open up the game.
While Terzic might have been the happier of the two managers from the first leg, he will have rued some missed chances, particularly from goalscorer Fullkrug, who should have at least scored a brace. Coming to Paris, Dortmund need a big performance on the road, and they have already tasted defeat here earlier in the season during the group stages.
The confirmation of a fifth Champions League place for German and Italian teams will have left Dortmund more relaxed heading into their league duties. They did put on a solid performance with a five-star showing against Augsburg, and that continuity is something Terzic will want in this second and decisive leg in Paris.
Team News & Tactics
PSG
The first-leg defeat also came at a considerable cost for Luis Enrique, who may not be able to select key defender Lucas Hernandez again until probably 2025. The French international may have suffered another knee ligament issue, which seems similar to the one he did during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
With Hernandez’s Euro chances done and dusted, Enrique will have a crucial selection decision ahead of the second leg. He does have the option of Milan Skriniar and Lucas Beraldo, with the latter likely to get the nod at the heart of the PSG defence alongside Marquinhos.
Nuno Mendes will take the left-back slot, with Achraf Hakimi well-placed on the right-hand side. Apart from Hernandez, Enrique does not have any fresh injury concerns apart from long-term absentees Presnel Kimpembe, Sergio Rico, and Layvin Kurzawa.
In the attack, Enrique might make slight tweaks, with Randal Kolo Muani the man likely to play up front, which would allow Kylian Mbappe to move on the left-hand side and replace Bradley Barcola. Despite an abject first-leg performance, Ousmane Dembele might retain his place in the starting lineup for now. But the manager does have other options to replace him if necessary.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Beraldo, Mendes; Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Ruiz; Dembele, Kolo Muani, Mbappe
Borussia Dortmund
Edin Terzic has had to ensure some of his players got their rest over the weekend in an attempt to keep them fresh for this second clash in Paris. Among those were Julian Ryerson, Sebastien Haller, Julien Duranville, and Ramy Bensebiani. Borussia Dortmund did not have any fresh concerns from the first leg, although Karim Adeyemi did suffer a knock against FC Augsburg at the weekend.
While the winger seems doubtful, he might recover from the minor issue and take his place in the starting eleven to continue where he left off last time around in the first leg. Terzic might retain a similar attacking setup, with Jadon Sancho being the livewire from the right wing in the first leg, and Julian Brandt pulling the strings from the No.10 role.
Similarly, Emre Can and Marcel Sabitzer are the ideal choices for keeping the midfield spots for Borussia Dortmund against PSG. At the back, Terzic might retain the same set, which makes it an unchanged lineup from the first leg should everyone turn up fit.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kobel; Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Maatsen; Sabitzer, Can; Sancho, Brandt, Adeyemi; Fullkrug
Key Stats
- PSG have kept a clean sheet in their last three home matches against Borussia Dortmund in all competitions.
- Paris Saint-Germain are without a clean sheet in seven games across all competitions.
- PSG have seen under 2.5 goals in six of their last seven matches against Borussia Dortmund in all competitions.
- Borussia Dortmund have four wins in their last six games across all competitions.
- PSG have failed to score in only two of their last 38 home games in the UEFA Champions League (93 strikes in this run). Bayern Munich have kept a clean sheet in both fixtures.
Player to Watch
Kylian Mbappe
Fans in Paris do not want this game to be Mbappe’s last ever in a PSG shirt in the UEFA Champions League, as they want to see the French international leading them into the final. Hence, the forward has a big responsibility on his shoulders to deliver, as the stage cannot get any bigger for him this season.
Hence, there is the need to overturn the first left deficit to Borussia Dortmund for PSG if they wish to make the Champions League final. Enrique will no doubt want a complete team performance but will naturally look at the Frenchman for solutions in the final third.
Prediction
PSG 2-2 Borussia Dortmund
There is a tight contest on our hands, and Borussia Dortmund, despite losing already at this venue, will have more motivation to go through to the UEFA Champions League final. As seen in the first leg, this game tends to open up in a big way, meaning both teams will emphasise a lot on their defending.
However, Dortmund have a slender advantage so that they might take on a slightly different approach. With both teams carrying players capable of scoring in crucial moments, this game seems poised to end in a draw, which will let the away side reach the final.
