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As the final whistle blew this pulsating, confusing game you can see both sides stumbling around in some kind of daze, still trying to process things. I wonder how their combined efforts and mistakes resulted in only one goal. You wonder if – for all their bravado and fragility – this could really be Borussia Dortmund’s year.
Niclas Füllkrug’s first-half goal eventually settled things, although very little felt decided in the next hour, during which Gregor Kobel’s goal looked like it had been drenched in holy water. Kylian Mbappe had 52 touches, three shots on goal, hit the post and again came up empty-handed. But perhaps Dortmund had also earned their luck. They could easily have scored more themselves after displaying a level of conviction and maturity that has not always been their hallmark. “The result is OK,” Edin Terzic said afterwards, refusing to get carried away. “We have a small lead and a good opportunity.”
Then there are no miracles, but a kind of resurrection. Did anyone seriously believe, during the his long and lonely Calvary on the brink of Manchester United that Jaden Sancho still had such a night in him? Is it Sancho? But here he is, reformed and back at home, the best player on the pitch by far, his 12 dribbles the most in a Champions League semi-final since Lionel Messi in 2008, his confidence seemingly growing with each one. Abandoned by United, forgotten by many others, it was a reminder that at his best, Sancho belongs on the biggest stage. Suddenly Gareth Southgate has a decision to make.
On the other flank, Jan Maatsen arguably excelled in a fascinating duel with Achraf Hakimi, while central midfielders Nico Schlotterback and Mats Hummels were superb. For Paris Saint Germain, Vitinia had a smart game in midfield and if it wasn’t for Marquinhos’ defensive intervention, they could have faced an even bigger deficit at the Parc des Princes next Tuesday. But in the end, this game came down to chances taken and missed, on layers of varnish that denied both Mbappe and Hakimi an equaliser.
Füllkrug’s goal was, to be fair, coming as Dortmund finally got it going after PSG started the brighter. For half an hour Sancho looked sketchy and timid, longing to try something but lacking conviction. Finally, he tackled two defenders on the edge of the box, laid the ball back for Julian Brandt and, although the shot was deflected, this act of audacity seemed to fill Dortmund with a spirit of enterprise, reminding them of himself.
A few minutes later, Schlotterback cut the ball over the top for Fühlkrug, who produced two sumptuous touches: one to control with his right foot, one to drive a low shot past Gianluigi Donnarumma with his left. Now the Yellow Wall was roaring, heaving and swaying, smelling of blood. Only Donnarumma’s outstretched dive stopped Marcel Sabitzer from making it 2-0. The break seemed to come at the right time for PSG, who emerged from the dressing room with much more control and focus.
At the start of the second half, Mbappe capped a scathing counter-attack with his signature chip from the corner of the box, hitting the inside of the post. Seconds later, Hakimi took another shot and hit the inside of the far post. A few minutes later, Marquinhos delivered a superbly disguised low cross that Fabian Ruiz somehow managed to head home. As in both legs of the quarter-finals against Atlético Madrid, Dortmund lived on charm and desire.
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The problem for PSG – and really, not a new problem at all – was that between these wild flourishes, Dortmund essentially walked the ball through them at will. This familiar lack of defensive intensity up top invited pressure further back. Just before the hour mark, Sancho sprinted towards the right touchline and played the ball back to Fühlkrug, who missed a much easier chance than the one he scored.
It was a sweltering day in Dortmund and as PSG started to rise again to build waves of tension, you could see Dortmund’s players trying to catch their breath. Perhaps there was an argument that Terzic could have turned to the bench sooner, but their forwards had a storming match and was this really the time to bring in a new defender against Mbappe and co?
Nobody expected Dortmund to get this far. Facing PSG again next Tuesday will be a completely different challenge, a test not just of skill but of courage in the face of what will almost certainly be a relentless onslaught. Dortmund’s win secured them qualification for next season’s competition, with Germany now guaranteed fifth place Champions League place. But they are not done with this campaign yet.
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