Borussia Dortmund moved into the Champions League final with a 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday evening.
Dortmund took a 1-0 lead in the second leg after Niclas Fullkrug struck in Germany and again remarkably shut out PSG, despite the French side registering over 43 shots in both games.
PSG were unable to find a way through Dortmund’s dominant defensive line as Kylian Mbappé failed to score in his last Champions League appearance for the French giants.
Edin Terzic’s team will now face Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the final on June 1st at Wembley Stadium.
How the game developed
There was a great sense of occasion in Paris and an expectant Parc des Princes welcomed both sides. The expectant home crowd made for a great atmosphere, although Dortmund did an excellent job of stifling the hosts and squelching any potential momentum that was building early on.
PSG acted aggressively after losing the ball, but the lack of spark with the ball and problems with the pressing structure meant that BVB felt a clear relief in the first 45 minutes without a goal. Enrique’s team often played the ball consistently until it reached the right flank, where Ousmane Dembele and Achrad Hakimi each provided tempo.
Gregor Kobel was rarely tested and it was Dortmund who came closest in the first half. The speedy Karim Adeyemi forced Gianluigi Donnarumma into a strong save after breaking away on the counter-attack.
There was immediate improvement from the hosts at the start of the second half as Enrique tinkered with PSG’s possession structure. Warren Zaire-Emery should have scored from close range and his miss proved costly as Dortmund went down at the other end and took the lead through Mats Hummels, who fired the ball home from a corner.
The deficit seemingly woke up the hosts, who then increased the pressure with their dreams of a Wembley final hanging in the balance. PSG smashed the Dortmund goal and hit the rafters again. Their dominance forced Terzic to change course as the visitors lined up a five-man chain.
The move brought a period of calm before PSG came again. Their attack at the end was relentless but the ball just wouldn’t get into the net. They missed chance after chance to get back into the game and the resilient Dortmund came forward after a miserable home game.
TW: Gianluigi Donnarumma – 6/10 – There wasn’t much he could do to deny Hummels after he saved well to stop Adeyemi in the first half.
RB: Achraf Hakimi – 5/10 – Brilliant for sure, but Hakimi didn’t take advantage of the good positions he took up in and around the final third.
CB: Marquinhos – 8/10 – It was his poor back pass that led to the fatal corner. Otherwise, Marquinhos was excellent, especially with the ball.
CB: Lucas Beraldo – 6/10 – Thrown his body on the line to deny Adeyemi early and delivered a lovely pass across the field throughout. Physically, Fullkrug had his way.
LB: Nuno Mendes – 6/10 – This time he performed better against Jadon Sancho, but Mendes, who hit the post in the second half, was unable to show the required quality in the second half.
CM: Vitinha – 7/10 – The Portuguese playmaker offered moments of real quality in possession, rarely allowing it and having to work incredibly hard in the second half to avoid Dortmund on the counterattack.
CM: Warren Zaire-Emery – 5/10 – The bright lights will return to Zaire-Emery, but this was not his night. Couldn’t break through in the first 45 minutes and missed a sitter early in the second half.
CM: Fabian Ruiz – 5/10 – Occasionally clumsy in possession and rarely attempting to penetrate Dortmund’s defensive line. No wonder it was withdrawn after an hour.
Right: Ousmane Dembélé – 6/10 – He threw himself across the pitch at the Parc des Princes to influence events with and without the ball. His effort wasn’t to be faulted, but his work in the final third was frustrating.
ST: Goncalo Ramos – 5/10 – Wasn’t particularly involved in a rare Champions League start and created a few good chances in the penalty area.
Left: Kylian Mbappe – 6/10 – The tone was set with a few loose early touches. Mbappe was expected to deliver for the hosts but he didn’t. He had his chances late.
Substitute
SUB: Bradley Barcola (63′ for Ramos) – 6/10
Substitute: Marco Asensio (63′ for Fabian) – 6/10
SUB: Lee Kang-in (76′ for Zaire-Emery) – 6/10
Substitutes not used: Keylor Navas (TW), Arnau Tenas (TW), Manuel Ugarte, Danilo Pereira, Randal Kolomuani, Nordi Mukiele, Carlos Soler, Milan Skriniar and Yoram Zague.
Manager
Luis Enrique – 6/10 – PSG were far too risk-averse in the early stages, but their performance improved significantly in the second half. It was a miracle that they didn’t score in either game.
TW: Gregor Kobel – 7/10 – PSG’s flawed finishing meant Kobel wasn’t tested on a regular basis, although he did make a few smart saves at the death.
RB: Julian Ryerson – 8/10 – The center backs will get a lot of credit, but Ryerson was great too. After keeping Mbappe quiet in the first half, Ryerson performed brilliantly in defending the BVB penalty area in the closing stages.
CB: Mats Hummels – 9/10 – A performance that matched his masterclass in the first leg, only this time he also got on the scoresheet! Hummels came to his advantage when PSG increased the pressure in the final stages.
CB: Nico Schlotterbeck – 9/10 – He read the game masterfully and was just as impressive as his centre-back partner – if not better. The positioning to stop PSG’s cross threat was spot on and they were confident in possession the entire time.
LB: Ian Maatsen – 7/10 – Had a lot to do against such a dynamic right-wing PSG team, but stuck to his task well.
CM: Emre Can – 7/10 – He seemed difficult with the ball at the start, but got into the game well. The captain provided some steel in front of Dortmund’s confident defensive line.
CM: Marcel Sabitzer – 8/10 – He didn’t make much of a contribution with the ball, but his performance without the ball was absolutely outstanding.
RM: Jadon Sancho – 7/10 – The Englishman wasn’t nearly as dominant as he was in the first leg, but he certainly had his moments. Sacrificed when Dortmund switched to a five-man defense in the final quarter of the competition. Hardworking defensively.
AM: Julian Brandt – 6/10 – Normally Brandt is a calm figure in possession, but there were times when Brandt made the wrong decision, particularly in transition.
LM: Karim Adeyemi – 6/10 – Tireless effort in defense, even if he lost his man once or twice. PSG was difficult to contain on this flank. Missed Dortmund’s best chance of the first half and was sent off an hour ago.
ST: Niclas Fullkrug – 7/10 – The big man did his job. Won his headers and was a nuisance throughout.
Substitute
Substitute: Marco Reus (56th minute for Adeyemi) – 7/10
SUB: Niklas Sule (67′ for Sancho) – 7/10
Substitute player: Felix Nmecha (85th minute for Brandt) – not available
Substitutes not used: Alexander Meyer (TW), Salih Ozcan, Sebastien Haller, Marius Wolf, Youssoufa Moukoko, Donyell Malen, Marcel Lotka, Kjell-Arik Watjen, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens.
Manager
Edin Terzic – 8/10 – Was it tactically outstanding? No. But when a group of players commit so tirelessly to the cause, the manager deserves a lot of credit. Terzic pulled off a miracle run.