Borussia Dortmund welcomes Paris Saint-Germain to Signal Iduna Park on Wednesday evening for the first leg of their Champions League semi-final.
Both teams escaped chaotic quarter-final encounters to reach the last four, with Dortmund set to play in the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since meeting Bayern Munich in an all-German final 11 years ago.
BVB beat Atlético Madrid 5-4 in the first and second legs and advanced with a 3-4 deficit 20 minutes before the end of the game. PSG also had to come from behind in the quarter-finals, but a Barcelona failure meant they won 4-1 in Catalonia to progress 6-4 on aggregate.
Luis Enrique’s side were confirmed as Ligue 1 champions at the weekend and will perform brilliantly in Wednesday’s first leg against the Dortmund side, who were beaten 4-1 by RB Leipzig on Saturday. Dortmund may need to win this season’s competition to qualify for the 2024/25 Champions League.
This is the third time these two teams will face each other this season, as they competed in Group F at the start of the season. PSG won comfortably on home soil before a draw in Dortmund that secured their place in the knockout rounds.
Here is 90 minutes Preview of the Champions League semi-final first leg on Wednesday evening.
Borussia Dortmund vs. PSG H2H balance (last five games)
Current form (all competitions)
|
Borussia Dortmund |
PSG |
|---|---|
|
RB Leipzig – Borussia Dortmund 4:1 – 04/27/24 |
PSG – Le Havre 3-3 – 04/27/24 |
|
Borussia Dortmund 1-1 Bayer Leverkusen – 21/04/24 |
Lorient 1-4 PSG – 04/24/24 |
|
Borussia Dortmund – Atlético Madrid 4:2 – 04/16/24 |
PSG – Lyon 4-1 – 04/21/24 |
|
Borussia Mönchengladbach 1-2 Borussia Dortmund – 04/13/24 |
Barcelona 1-4 PSG – 04/16/24 |
|
Atlético Madrid – Borussia Dortmund 2-1 – 04/10/24 |
PSG – Barcelona 2-3 – 04/10/24 |
|
country |
TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
|
Great Britain |
Discovery+ App, TNT Sports 1, Discovery+ |
|
United States |
TUDN.com, TUDN App, Univision, TUDN USA, CBS, Paramount+, Univision NOW |
|
Canada |
DAZN |
Dortmund will be without long-term injured Ramy Bensebaini due to a knee injury, and Sebastien Haller will also be out with ankle problems.
Mats Hummels is said to be unwell but is expected to be fit for Wednesday’s game. Donyell Malen is struggling with a hamstring injury and is unlikely to feature in the starting XI, but the Dutchman could make Edin Terzic’s matchday squad.
Predicted line-up for Dortmund against PSG (4-2-3-1): Kobel; Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Maatsen; Can, Sabitzer; Sancho, Brandt, Adeyemi; Full cup.
Enrique found success when Bradley Barcola was deployed on the left with Kylian Mbappe up top and we should see that dynamic again in Dortmund, with the Spaniard potentially naming an unchanged team from the second leg in Barcelona.
As for injuries, PSG have no new concerns but will be without Presnel Kimpembe, Sergio Rico and Layvin Kurzawa.
PSG’s expected line-up against Dortmund (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Hernandez, Mendes; Vitinha, Fabian, Zaire-Emery; Dembele, Mbappe, Barcola.
We were able to enjoy a foretaste of this semi-final in the group stage, with PSG unfortunately unable to win in Dortmund despite being behind.
Enrique’s side are beginning to shake off PSG’s Champions League vulnerability, having won twice away from home in the knockout rounds, but this is a massive test of their qualities at a loud signal Iduna Park.
BVB’s enthusiastic home crowd got them over the finish line in the quarter-finals and although they are clearly outnumbered by their opponents, there is no doubt that this tie will be hard-fought. The hosts need to secure a result on Wednesday evening and PSG will miss chances in the transition period, but Enrique’s side are well-placed for an away win in the first leg.