Borussia Dortmund-PSG is a match valid for the first leg of the Champions League semifinals and is played on Wednesday at 9 p.m.: streaming, probable formations, predictions.
An obsession for PSG, a dream for Borussia Dortmund. One could sum up in this way, paraphrasing Jose Mourinho, the least emblazoned of these Champions League semifinals. Which, by the way, is a kind of remake of the two challenges already staged during the group stage.
Yes, the Germans and the French had been drawn in the same group – along with AC Milan and Newcastle – then won by surprise by Edin Terzic’s yellow-and-whites. PSG, on the other hand, qualified by the skin of their teeth: they finished on 8 points like AC Milan but finished ahead of the Rossoneri thanks to the better goal difference in direct clashes. Yet the Parisians remained unbeaten in both the first leg and the return leg with Borussia: 2-0 in September at the Parc des Princes and 1-1 in December at Signal Iduna Park. Luis Enrique, coach of the newly crowned French champions, would put his signature to replicate two such results, especially to emerge unscathed from the yellow and yellow bowl with a positive result, so as to then play it all out in the transalpine capital, in front of his own public.
Borussia Dortmund, however, remains an opponent to be taken with a grain of salt, despite the fact that in the Bundesliga they have disappointed so far and are in danger of even staying out of the top four. Terzic’s team, however, has been at its best in the cup, returning to play a semifinal more than a decade after the last time.
Luis Enrique’s mission
After leaving everyone speechless in the group stage, Kobel and co. knocked off PSV Eindhoven and Atletico Madrid. It was, to say the least, an amazing qualification that they achieved against the Colchoneros, overturned 4-2 in front of the “yellow wall” (the first leg had ended 2-1 for Diego Simeone’s team).
Two Spanish opponents instead for PSG so far in the knockout stage. Having easily cleared the Real Sociedad file, Luis Enrique and his men took the scalp of Barcelona at the end of a double challenge in which everything happened. Beaten 3-2 at the Parc des Princes, the Parisians overwhelmed the Blaugrana at Montjuic (1-4), taking advantage, however, of the numerical inferiority of the Catalans, who were down 10 at halftime. Meanwhile, PSG wrote the final word on Ligue 1 2023-24: on Sunday came the arithmetic of their 12th title, their third in a row, won despite last Saturday’s draw with newly promoted Le Havre (3-3). Borussia Dortmund, on the other hand, cashed in on a very ugly defeat in their direct clash for fourth place with Leipzig, who at the Red Bull Arena stormed to a 4-1 win, bringing them within +5 of the yellow-and-whites.
Terzic is without Ivorian striker Haller and hopes Hummels, Malen and Maatsen can recover from their respective injuries: all three should make it. Luis Enrique rested several starters in the league: the likes of Donnarumma, Mbappé, Nuno Mendes and Fabian Ruiz will return from 1′ in Dortmund.
The probable lineups of Borussia Dortmund-PSG
BORUSSIA DORTMUND (4-2-3-1): Kobel; Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Maatsen; Sabitzer, Emre Can; Sancho, Brandt, Adeyemi; Füllkrug.
PSG (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Hernández, Nuno Mendes; Zaïre-Emery, Vitinha, Fabián Ruiz; Dembélé, Mbappé, Barcola.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-2
