Borussia Dortmund booked their place in the UEFA Champions League final with a 2-0 aggregate win over Paris Saint-Germain after Mats Hummels bagged the winning goal in the second leg on Tuesday night. The defender rose highest from a second-half corner to convert and give the Bundesliga club a 1-0 victory on the evening. PSG went on to hit the woodwork on six occasions over both legs in the tie. A second-half header from the superb Mats Hummels gave Borussia Dortmund 1-0 win and 2-0 aggregate victory over a disappointing Paris Saint-Germain.
The hosts hit the woodwork four times on the night and six times over the tie but the Bundesliga’s fifth-placed side were comfortably superior over the two legs and will now face either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich – who beat them at Wembley in the 2013 final – to determine the champions of Europe.
The pre-match atmosphere suggested an intense start from the home side but in the event, PSG struggled to get going while Dortmund’s defensive discipline and counter-attacking enterprise kept them well in check.
And Dortmund came closer to extending their lead than PSG did to equalising it with Karim Adeyemi forcing a decent save from Gianluigi Donnarumma in the first half’s best moment.
Though Warren Zaire-Emery hit the post shortly after the break, Dortmund were the in ascendancy when, on 50 minutes, Hummels scored what always felt like the clinching goal, heading home powerfully when picked out at the back post by Julian Brandt.
PSG upped the pace thereafter, hitting bar and post a further three times. But led by Hummels and the equally excellent Nico Schlotterbeck, Dortmund were always in relative control and fully deserved a win inspired by Edin Terzic’s tactical masterclass.
So Kylian Mbappe looks set to depart his hometown club having failed to win the Champions League, while Dortmund will feel confident of concluding what could be one of the great cup runs – with good reason. Whoever they meet next, we’re in for a treat.
TALKING POINT – WHERE DO PARIS GO NEXT?
The ability of Paris Saint-Germain to find ways to lose in the Champions League has been a joke for quite some time. But in a sense, that has obscured a more painful reality: they have been given thorough beatings more often than they have conjured their own downfall.
Things are a little different now. The squad has still been assembled at great expense, but with far younger players than before, so in that sense, perhaps it shouldn’t be so surprising that they lost to a more experienced outfit who executed their gameplan to perfection.
Whether that keeps Luis Enrique in a job remains to be seen – his side missed enough chances to win two ties and should have found a way to win regardless of how well Dortmund played, but there are few obvious replacements. As such, his future seems more likely to be determined by how well the Mbappe money is spent – a privilege he has just about earned.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH – MATS HUMMELS (BORUSSIA DORTMUND)
Could just as easily have been Nico Schlotterbeck, his equally excellent partner, but leadership and the goal give the old man the edge.
PLAYER RATINGS
PSG: Donnarumma 6, Mendes 6, Berlado 5, Marquinhos 7, Hakimi 5, Ruiz 5, Vitinha 7, Zaire-Emery 5, Mbappe 5, Ramos 5, Dembele 5. Subs: Barcola 6, Asensio 6, Lee 6.
Borussia Dortmund: Kobel 8, Ryerson 7, Humels 8, Schlotterbeck 8, Maatsen 8, Can 6, Sabitzer 7, Sancho 5, Brandt 7, Adeyemi 7, Fullkrug 6. Subs: Reus 6, Sule 6, Nmecha 6.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
35’ – DEMBELE SPREADS TO HAKIMI: But Schlotterbeck kicks away his cross, then Sabitzer gives it away to Vitinha, Ramos slides to Ruiz outside him … but Mbappe can’t turn the ball goalwards because Hummels slides in to make a fine challenge and Dortmund counter, Sancho turning a clever ball around the corner for Brandt who finds Adeyemi! Marquinhos daren’t challenge but leans, and the shot comes low from just inside the box, Donnarumma doing well to dive and beat it away. We’re getting lively!
47’ – ZAIRE-EMERY HITS THE POST!: The corner goes short, Mbappe makes a better angle to cross, and when the ball flicks off Sabitzer, Ramos leaps at it! But sends the ball skewing across the face and at the far post, Zaire-Emery is there! But the ball drops on to the inside of his foot, it’s coming across him and the angle is tight, so he cushions an effort that’s harder than it looks against the near post and out!
50’ – GOAL! PSG (0) 0-1 (2) Borussia Dortmud (Hummels) So so simple! Brandt picks out his skipper at the back stick, he heads downwards hard, and the ball flies between keeper and near post! What on earth was going on with marking?! But Dortmund won’t care – they’re almost in the Champions League final!
61’ – PARIS HIT THE POST! Goodness me! Nuno Mendes, who’s spent most of the night protecting himself against Sancho by staying deep, joins the attack, leathers a drive … and it dematerialises the far post before bouncing to safety! That’s the fourth time in the tie PST have contacted woodwork!
87’ – PARIS HIT THE BAR AGAIN! That’s five times! A cross to the back post is nodded back by Big Ousmane Dembele, Kobel flaps when he doesn’t need to and Hakmi turns square for Mbappe! But his contact isn’t true, the ball bounces up … and flicks off the woodwork to safety! This is Dortmund’s night, and haven’t they earned it?!
88’ – WHAT A STATE OF AFFAIRS THIS IS! embele inside, it goes one more to Vitinha, and out of nowhere he flings the fury of the ages into a drive from distance, which shrieks, whistles and burns by the stranded Kobel … only to clobber the bar and bounce to safety! That’s four times tonight, six across the tie, and =this things of ours: there’s nothing nothing like it.