PSG up against the wall. Six days after its defeat at Dortmund in the Champions League semi-final first leg (0-1), Paris Saint-Germain welcomes the Germans to the Parc des Princes with a simple objective: to win to qualify for the Champions League final. champions, four years after that lost to Bayern Munich. For the Parisians, the mission is as follows: win by two goals to qualify directly. A difference of just one unit would send Paris to overtime while any other result would eliminate PSG from this Champions League.
A half at the Parc des Princes, 29 years later
Facing Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday, PSG are playing their fourth Champions League semi-final, but it will be the first in front of their home crowd for 29 years. At the time, PSG of David Ginola, Raï and George Weah hosted AC Milan of Paolo Maldini, Marcel Desailly and Marco Simone. However, since this (lost) meeting in 1995, the Parisian public has no longer attended a European semi-final. PSG has however played two since, in 2020 against Leipzig and 2021 against Manchester City, but behind closed doors, because of the pandemic. For this reunion, the Parc des Princes promises to be hot, even if the price of tickets has soared.
A defense to recompose, an attack to rediscover
While PSG only fielded its typical defense (Hakimi, Marquinhos, Hernandez, Nuno Mendes) for the third time this season in the first leg, Luis Enrique must already review his copy. The PSG coach lost Lucas Hernandez, who was injured in the first leg and suffered a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Unavailable for many months, the French international should be replaced by Lucas Beraldo as left central defender. Unless Luis Enrique favors the experience of Danilo Pereira or Milan Skriniar. In attack, no absence announced but one problem to be resolved however: that of the glaring ineffectiveness of the Parisians in the first leg.
Dortmund dreams of returning to Wembley
Winner of the Champions League in 1997, Borussia Dortmund also played in a final in 2013, at Wembley. However, the legendary London venue will be the scene of the next Champions League final, on June 1. Eleven years after losing there against Bayern Munich – who also hope to return there… – Borussia Dortmund is therefore dreaming of a revenge at Wembley. Especially since the BvB is having a disappointing season in the championship (5th), less than a year after losing, against all expectations, a championship title that was within reach. “If necessary, we will run 20 kilometers more. We have a big goal, a big dream. This is how we got here, to the semi-finals of the Champions League”warned Edin Terzic, the German coach, Monday at a press conference.