Losing 0-1 in the first leg, PSG must double their efforts in the return match against Dortmund. Luis Enrique’s team has all the favorable factors to win: home field, force. But if they enter the match with the ‘beat’ mentality, they will pay the price.
– 02:00 May 8: PSG vs Dortmund (Live FPT Play)
Fullkrug’s only goal brought victory to Dortmund in the first leg, putting PSG at many disadvantages in the second leg tonight. However, a 1-goal difference does not necessarily end PSG’s chances of reaching the finals.
Niclas Fullkrug only needs one chance to ‘finish’ PSG in the first leg.
In the press conference before the second leg, coach Luis Enrique admitted: “We missed opportunities that could have scored a goal. Losing in the first leg is unfortunate, but that’s football. In this return leg, we have home field advantage, we are very determined, we will do everything to turn the situation around.”
Losing 0-1 in the first leg is not a disaster, but it makes PSG have to redouble their efforts.
In fact, PSG had an extremely wasteful performance against Dortmund in the first leg. Luis Enrique’s players launched a total of 14 shots but unfortunately only 3 times the ball hit the target and failed to score. Ousmane Dembele played poorly on the day he met his old team. While Niclas Fullkrug gave PSG a lesson in sharpness in finishing.
But just as Enrique said, PSG’s ability to go upstream cannot be underestimated. In the quarterfinals, they crushed Barcelona on away field 4-1 to win tickets to the semi-finals. At this time, PSG has completed Ligue 1 and will focus all its efforts on the Champions League.
Sancho’s brilliant performance is a fulcrum for Dortmund.
In all three previous visits to Dortmund at home, PSG won, including a 2-0 win in the first leg of this season’s group stage.
The disadvantage for PSG in this match is that midfielder Lucas Hernandez was seriously injured in the first leg and had to rest for up to 6 months, absent from EURO 2024. But the good news is that midfielder Milan Skriniar has returned and will likely replace him. Lucas Hernandez plays alongside Marquinhos.
PSG relies too much on Mbappe’s performance
For Dortmund, the win in the first leg cannot be said to be due to luck. In fact, they played well and made PSG wobble many times. PSG must also remember that Dortmund came back to win against Atletico Madrid in the quarterfinals as convincingly and impressively as the way they beat Barcelona.
Dortmund is like that, always ‘half lean, half fat’. On a good day they can lose weakly to a tiny team, but at the most critical moment they stubbornly defeat a giant. PSG is superior in every aspect compared to Dortmund, but if they go into the game with the ‘beat’ mentality, they will have to pay the price.
PSG is stronger but Dortmund is not easily bullied.
Dortmund is certain to win tickets to next season’s Champions League, so the semi-final with PSG is much more important. Coach Edin Terzic’s team prepared for this match with a strong 5-1 victory over Augsburg in the Bundesliga, thereby continuing a series of good performances in the final stages of the season.
Predict a victory for PSG.
Probable teams:
PSG: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Beraldo, Mendes; Ruiz, Vitinha, Zaire-Emery; Dembele, Ramos, Mbappe
Borussia Dortmund: Kobel; Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Maatsen; Sabitzer, Can; Sancho, Brandt, Adeyemi; Full mug