Sancho does the dirty work to suppress Mbappe
Not many people would have thought that Jadon Sancho would be Dortmund’s main defender, eclipsing Kylian Mbappe.
In the first leg in Dortmund, Sancho was the decisive attacking spark on the pitch and could have scored a hat-trick of assists at the end. He had a different role in the second leg in Paris.
The England winger teamed up with right-back Lucas Ryerson to stop PSG’s dynamic No.7. In the end, it was a brilliant defensive performance that saw Sancho win seven possessions and win six possessions in defense and in the middle third. Mbappe, meanwhile, only had five shots.
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The Athletic’s David Ornstein and The Mirror’s John Cross discuss Dortmund’s 2-0 aggregate win over PSG
Sancho also achieved a striker pass rate of 63.64 percent – the highest on the pitch. When Dortmund had to get on the pitch and relieve the pressure on the defensive line, Sancho was their calm and effective figure.
This allows Sancho to show attacking skills and do the dirty work. He would be a golden addition to any squad in Europe. Are you watching, Erik?
Lightning itself
Mbappé was anonymized
Kylian Mbappe will be disappointed by his Champions League exit in his final season at PSG
This is not the Kylian Mbappe we have become accustomed to, who appears so often on big occasions.
This is a player with 48 goals in the Champions League. He has scored the most goals in World Cup finals. He is one of the world-famous best.
There was no sign of this against Dortmund. The German side trained him. Mbappé remained virtually anonymous for 180 minutes. He was simply taken out of the game.
Praise deserves Dortmund’s sensational defensive pairing – Mats Hummels and Nico Schlotterbeck – but questions must also be asked of PSG’s No.7, who leaves the Parc des Princes at the end of this season without even the slightest trace of his club longs so much for the Champions League title.
Mbappé was cautious, indecisive and wasteful and lost the ball 18 times on Tuesday. Of the twelve ball contacts he had in the opponent’s penalty area, three led to shots on goal, but none bothered Gregor Kobel.
“Football is so unfair,” said coach Luis Enrique after the game. That’s often true. But not here. The PSG stars showed their colors, while the entire Dortmund team showed how worthwhile a coherent game plan that is implemented with unwavering commitment can be.
Laura Hunter
Dortmund’s defenders form the yellow wall
Dortmund wouldn’t move in Paris
They say you earn your happiness. Well, Dortmund’s defenders definitely did it at PSG.
Luis Enrique pointed out that PSG hit the woodwork six times over the course of the two games and explained why they deserved to reach the Wembley final at Dortmund’s expense. But Dortmund’s defense didn’t deserve to lose either.
The back four consisting of Julian Ryerson, Mats Hummels, Nico Schlotterbeck and Ian Maatsen – the latter was formerly at Burnley and Coventry – managed a total of 36 saves at the Parc des Princes, 12 of which were headed, and won 24 duels. They will all sleep well tonight if they can amidst the festivities.
Dortmund is now bringing the yellow wall to Wembley Stadium, but there will be a second, smaller wall in front of the goal. Anyone who plays against them in the Champions League final will not want to play against this quartet.
Lightning itself