Dortmund steel wall

When boarding the flight to Germany to play the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals,  PSG  was motivated by the Ligue 1 title and expanded their record of winning the French football championship 12 times.

Fullkrug scored the only goal in the first leg

PSG won 4 points in 2 Champions League group stage matches with Dortmund. That also helps increase the confidence of Luis Enrique and his team when they arrive at Signal Iduna Park.

However, things did not go as Luis Enrique planned.  PSG faces the steel giant Dortmund , an almost perfect machine.

Dortmund’s cohesion and certainty continue to be an interesting story in the Champions League this season. Edin Terzic’s team deployed an effective system to stop Kylian Mbappe.

Dortmund maintains a good balance. In every phase of the ball, Edin Terzic’s students showed that they had a specific plan and were very flexible.

The turning point in the match came like a flash of lightning. Schlotterbeck’s very long ball from the defense allowed Fullkrug, who took advantage of the space created by Marquinhos, to perform a spectacular control and then beat Donnarumma.

That defeat was a strong blow to the spirit of the people from Paris, the team then also lost Lucas Hernandez due to injury.

Jadon Sancho dances on Dortmund’s right wing

Dortmund creates high pressure thanks to its dynamism, fueled by a passionate crowd. Adeyemi left Achraf Hakimi without a chance to advance as usual. Sabitzer managed the midfield and there were times when PSG’s goal shook.

PSG is uncomfortable in front of the “yellow wall” (Die Gelbe Wand; as the famous group of Dortmund fans standing in the south stand is called). The French champion was helpless in a match where  Mbappe  wandered around the field and barely entered the game.

Stifled and unable to move the ball as planned, PSG was once again forced into a situation where they had to go upstream in the second leg to find a ticket to the final at Wembley (London, England).

Final dream

“Now we have nothing to lose!” , said Luis Enrique. He still kept smiling after the match, as if to help relieve pressure on the players before entering the second leg.

Dortmund locked down Mbappe

At the Parc des Princes in the middle of next week, PSG needs to equalize before thinking about victory. They must double their attacking energy, or at least drag the match into a penalty shootout.

In Madrid they say Bellingham is the best player in the world. The English player is making a major contribution to the tactical system implemented by Carlo Ancelotti.

However, Dortmund fans   do not miss him. With Bellingham, Borussia was eliminated in the 1/8 round (lost 1-2 to Chelsea). This season, his position was taken over by Sabitzer and he worked hard.

With the quality and dynamism that Sabitzer brings, along with Fullkrug’s explosive form in attack, Dortmund is now dreaming of reaching the Champions League final.

The “Yellow Wall” is a psychological fulcrum for Dortmund

Along the way, in a busy season, Dortmund topped a table that included rivals Newcastle, Milan and PSG themselves. They overwhelmed PSV in the 1/8 round; excellently eliminated Atletico in the quarterfinals last night, leaving PSG unable to control.

The heat of 80,000 spectators in the most vibrant martial arts stadium on the continent (and the world) creates a contrasting mentality between the two opponents. Only Vitinha stands out in the PSG team amid pressure from Dortmund and that is not enough.

Coming to Paris was a different experience, where Dortmund lost 0-2 in the opening match of the season (Mbappe and Hakimi scored).

However, from the advantage they have, Edin Terzic and his students still have the right to dream about miracles after more than a decade of waiting.