Borussia Dortmund’s Niclas Fullkrug celebrates scoring towards Paris St Germain in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal on May 1, 2024
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Niclas Füllkrug scored and Borussia Dortmund earned a 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal.
Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck despatched a protracted move over the highest for Füllkrug to management brilliantly together with his first contact earlier than firing it previous PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma together with his subsequent in the 36th minute on Wednesday.
“It’s not the first time that I’ve tried to stick the ball in at the near post this season. This time it worked out and I’m even happier that it’s in such an important game,” Füllkrug mentioned.
The win provides Dortmund a slim benefit earlier than the groups play once more in the second leg in Paris subsequent Tuesday, when the French champion will want to overturn the consequence if it is going to seize Europe’s greatest prize earlier than Kylian Mbappé leaves the membership.
PSG is underneath strain to lastly win to the Champions League to justify greater than a decade of big funding from its Qatari homeowners.
Dortmund’s win ensured it certified for the match subsequent season and it provides the Bundesliga 5 groups in the expanded match. Dortmund is assured of ending no less than fifth.
Roared on by many of the 81,365 followers current, together with the famed “yellow wall” behind one of many targets, Dortmund made the busier begin and maintained its depth for the entire sport. The residence staff ran 119.7 kilometers — virtually 10 greater than the guests.
Defender Lucas Hernández went off injured after attempting to cease Füllkrug from scoring. It appeared like Hernández suffered a left leg damage.
PSG pushed hardest early in the second half, when Mbappé hit the proper submit earlier than Achraf Hakimi struck the left submit.
Gregor Kobel saved Mbappé’s subsequent effort and Dortmund survived the strain.
Füllkrug went on to miss additional good probabilities for the German staff, whereas Marquinhos made a vital block to deny Julian Brandt late on.
“It would have been nice if we could have made our counterattacks count to get a second goal at the end,” Dortmund veteran Mats Hummels mentioned.
“But now we have to come through in Paris.” The guests missed probabilities, too.
Ousmane Dembelé ought to have scored on his return to Dortmund when he blazed a shot over late, then Vitinha flashed a shot broad of the left submit.
“We tried to keep the ball from them but it’s so difficult because they have a lot of quality,” PSG coach Luis Enrique mentioned.
“They are a great team on the ball and off the ball. Today in that environment they were great in both aspects of the game. I think we had maybe a lack of intensity in the first half, but in the second half we created clear, clear chances. But we couldn’t score.”
Dortmund coach Edin Terzic solely made his first substitution in the 83rd, when he despatched on veteran Marco Reus for the exhausted Karim Adeyemi.
The winner of the two-leg tie will play both Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the ultimate in London on June 1. The outdated rivals drew 2-2 in their semifinal first leg in Munich on Tuesday.