Borussia Dortmund are into the Champions League final. Look back on Tuesday’s action with our PSG vs Dortmund stats centre and match recap.
Ahead of the 2017-18 season, Paris Saint-Germain set about finally ending their Champions League drought the only way they knew how: by spending a vast amount of money on two outstanding players. On Tuesday, that quest was rendered redundant and a failure as Kylian Mbappé played his last game in the competition for the club having been unable to inspire glory.
The arrivals of Neymar – for a world record €222million – and Mbappé – on an initial loan with a committed fee of €180m – in 2017 were seen as PSG stepping up their Champions League obsession. Surely these two, both of whom possessed the potential to win the Ballon d’Or, could make the difference?
But Neymar ultimately left last year to little ceremony, and Mbappé is set to depart this summer having also been unable to win Europe’s biggest prize.
The stage was set for Mbappé on what would be his last Champions League appearance at the Parc des Princes. Sure, Borussia Dortmund held a 1-0 lead from the first leg, but the occasion was calling out for the France star to do what needed to be done.
In the end, the fifth-best team in Germany did enough, securing an unlikely place in the Champions League final, their third time in the showpiece.
This second leg was never likely to be quite as open and thrilling as their encounter last week. Dortmund wouldn’t have wanted a repeat in terms of sheer openness as they arrived in Paris with a slender – but no less important – lead.
There were undoubtedly some similarities with how BVB set up but this time there was a much greater onus on defending deep, and that included the likes of Karim Adeyemi and Jadon Sancho, arguably the two standout performers from six days earlier.
Whereas the latter dazzled in leading Dortmund’s attack in the first leg, he had to put in a more disciplined defensive display here, much to the delight of Nuno Mendes, who likely had recurring nightmares after being led on a merry dance by Sancho in Germany.
Mbappé’s shift to the left flank clearly had an impact on what Sancho was being asked to do this time, though he was diligent in his defensive work while supporting Julian Ryerson, his six recoveries in the first half double that of any other Dortmund player.
Mbappé was outshone by the exceptional Sancho at Signal Iduna Park, where he led the line for PSG. While still a threat, as he always is, he struggled to a degree in trying to impose himself against Mats Hummels and Nico Schlotterbeck.
Back out on the left here, Mbappé this time looked better placed to take the game into his own hands and there were moments. He stung the palms of Gregor Kobel with a fierce effort, then there was the run down the outside of Ryerson before crossing; a darting run inside saw him evade several defenders and eventually led to Ousmane Dembélé going close.
It wasn’t the most ferocious we’ve seen him, but he was beginning to simmer nicely and nearly inspired an opening goal just after the break. His deep cross from the left flicked off Gonçalo Ramos and dropped kindly for Warren Zaïre-Emery, who smashed against the post from close range, the ball cannoning back into his midriff.
And then came the devastating blow.
Mats Hummels made space for himself at a corner, nudging Lucas Beraldo, and then headed into the ground. The ball bounced up and left the net bulging; Dortmund had the lead on the night and increased their aggregate advantage, the defender scoring for BVB in the competition for the first time since February 2013.
Cue the onslaught.
PSG piled men forward relentlessly. The last 20 minutes of the match were played almost entirely in the Dortmund half, with PSG seeing 83% of the ball while the visitors were desperate in their attempts to hang on.
Mendes had already hit the bar in the second half, then Vitinha followed suit in the 88th minute. The combination of the frame of the goal, Kobel, Hummels and Schlotterbeck kept PSG at bay as Mbappé tried to force the issue.
PSG certainly can’t be accused of not trying, and on another night they’d have won comfortably. They attempted 30 shots, recorded 3.2 expected goals and hit the woodwork four times.
This was only the fourth instance on record (since 2010-11) in the Champions League that a team have managed over 3.0 xG in a game but failed to score. Similarly, no team since at least 2003-04 as hit the woodwork more than three times without scoring.
Fortune smiled on Dortmund, no doubt, but when taking on behemoths like PSG, you need a little luck.
Mbappé trudged away at full-time looking glum. He will leave PSG as a club great but unable to bring the prize it was hoped his signing would be a precursor to.
PSG’s wait for the Champions League goes on; who’d have thought nearly seven years ago that both Neymar and Mbappé would eventually leave without lifting the famous trophy?
They certainly didn’t.
Our Opta match centre delivers you all the PSG vs Dortmund stats for this Champions League game at the Parc des Princes in Paris.
The match centre below includes team and player stats, expected goals data, passing networks, an Opta chalkboard and more. It gives you everything you need to do your own post-match analysis.
Underneath the match centre you can find the official Opta stats on the game as well.
PSG vs Dortmund Post-Match Facts
- Borussia Dortmund have reached the UEFA Champions League final for the third time (also 1997 and 2013). The last time they did so was also the last time the showpiece was played at Wembley Stadium (2013).
- Dortmund’s Mats Hummels (35y 143d) became the third oldest player to score a UEFA Champions League semi-final goal, after Ryan Giggs in 2010-11 (37y 148d) and Edin Dzeko last season (37y 54d).
- Paris Saint-Germain have lost all six legs of their three two-legged Champions League semi-final appearances, also doing so vs Milan in 1994-95 and Manchester City in 2020-21.
- Paris Saint-Germain had 44 shots against Borussia Dortmund over the two legs of this semi-final – it’s the most shots a team has had without scoring in a two-legged Champions League tie on record (since 2003-04).
- This is just the second time a team has won both legs of a Champions League semi-final tie by a 1-0 scoreline – Borussia Dortmund were also the other occasion, against Manchester United in 1996-97.
- Paris Saint-Germain have hit the woodwork 14 times in the Champions League this season, the most on record (since 2003-04) by any team in a single campaign. Six of these have come in the semi-final tie against Borussia Dortmund (2 in first leg, 4 tonight).
- Nico Schlotterbeck made more passes (41), had the highest passing accuracy (87.8%), and had the joint-most duels won (7) and tackles (4) of any Borussia Dortmund player tonight.
- At 24 years and 157 days, Paris Saint-Germain named the youngest starting XI for a UEFA Champions League semi-final match since Arsenal against Manchester United (second leg) in 2008-09 (24y 26d).
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