Borussia Dortmund vs PSG: Euro giants clash in massive Champions League semi-final first leg – team news
BORUSSIA DORTMUND host Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of a mammoth Champions League semi-final clash.
Luis Enrique will be hoping PSG take a huge step closer to completing an unprecedented quadruple in his first season in charge of Les Parisiens.
The French giants won Ligue 1 at the weekend after Goncalo Ramos came off the bench and equalised in the 95th minute for PSG to rescue a point against Le Havre.
Top scorer Kylian Mbappe was not in the starting lineup for the draw and with Monaco losing to Lyon, they secured a 12th title.
PSG won the French Super Cup in January and have secured a spot in the Coup de France Final – they’ll be looking to take one step closer to winning the quadruple against Dourtmund.
Meanwhile, Dortmund come into the game off the back of being hammered 4-1 by RB Leipzig, despite Jadon Sancho putting the away side in front.
It went from bad to worse for Dortmund as Mats Hummels was taken off five minutes into the second half due to injury.
Winning the Champions League may be the only way for Dortmund to qualify for the competition next season as RB Leipzig’s win put them five points ahead of their top four rivals.
When is Borussia Dortmund vs Paris Saint Germain?
- The semi-final of the Champions League between Borussia Dortmund and PSG will take place on Wednesday, May 1.
- Kick-off is scheduled for 8pm BST.
- Signal Iduna Park – also known as the Westfalenstadion – will be hosting the game with a capacity of 81,365.
- The two sides were in the same group stage this season, with PSG winning 2-0 at home and the sides drawing 1-1 in Germany.
What TV channel is it on and can it be live streamed?
- Borussia Dortmund vs PSG will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1 in the UK.
- Pre-match coverage is expected to begin from 7pm BST – 60 minutes before kick-off.
- Fans can also stream the game online through TNT Sports Ultimate.
- Alternatively, SunSport will have minute-by-minute coverage of the entire match.
What is their form like?
Borussia Dortmund have failed to win a league game since April 13 after dropping points against German Champions Bayer Leverkusen and top four rivals RB Leipzig.
Manager Edin Terzic is feeling the pressure as his side fall further and further away from the Champions League places and could miss out on the competition for the first time since 2015-16.
PSG have only lost one game – the quarter-final first leg against Barcelona – in 32 matches since early November to secure the Ligue 1 title and their place in the French Cup final.
What is the team news?
Mats Hummels (calf) was forced off at the beginning of the second half against RB Leipzig but is expected to be fit for the first leg.
Ian Maatsen is expected to return after suffering a hip injury against Bayer Leverkusen and was not in the squad over the weekend.
Sebastien Haller (ankle) and Ramy Bensabaini (knee) are very unlikely to feature, with both injuries more long term.
PSG have been able to rest star man Kylian Mbappe, who has played only one full 90 since the last round of the Champions League.
Their only major injury concer is Layvin Kurzawa (back) who has not started a game for the side since August.
Who will be the star players?
Julian Brandt is Dortmund’s main threat with 22 goal contributions in 41 games across all club competitions.
His combination with German striker Niclas Fullkrug who has contributed to 25 goals this season, will be sure to test the PSG defence.
Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe has already beaten his numbers from last season, with 43 goals and 10 assists in 44 games.
Although he only had a five-minute cameo across both legs against Barcelona, Dortmund should also be wary of Goncalo Ramos.
On loan from Benfica, the 22-year-old striker has contributed to 15 goals this season, four of which have come in as many games.
If PSG are looking for a goal, he could be a surprising option off the bench against tired legs.
What has been said?
Luis Enrique has spoken about the possibility of his team making history and winning the quadruple.
He said: “We have eight games left, hopefully nine and we will put the same commitment in all of them.”
Edin Terzic, in his press conference on Saturday, said that Mats Hummels “should be fine to play on Wednesday”.
Speaking to Sport1, the Dortmund manager also shared his thoughts on Jadon Sancho since returning on loan to the club, after a fallout with Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag.
He said: “We see Jadon perform an action in every training session that shows his extraordinary talent.
“We see how diligent he is with the tasks and how hard he works on them.”
We will hear more from both managers following their pre-match press conferences on Tuesday, April 30.