Niclas Fullkrug scored a stunning first half winner as Borussia Dortmund beat Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on Wednesday evening.
The 1997 victors, who were going for a first-ever final appearance since 2013, were tenacious and persistent, outlasting their more favoured rivals.
In the 36th minute, 31-year-old Fuellkrug, who was participating in his debut Champions League season, received a lofted pass from center-back Nico Schlotterbeck and fired a low effort into the left corner of the net.
Early in the second half, Kylian Mbappe’s PSG hit the crossbar twice in quick succession but were unable to capitalise.
Dortmund may still hope to make it back to Wembley, 11 years after their last Champions League final—they having previously lost and drawn against PSG in the group stage this season.
Despite the loss, PSG will still be optimistic about overcoming the deficit when they play a team they completely outmatched at home in September next week.
Prior to the game, Edin Terzic, the manager of Dortmund, stated that PSG was “built to win the Champions League” ever since the Qatari acquisition ten years ago.
The world-renowned striker Mbappe of PSG, who was playing in his final season for his home club, and the journeyman Fuellkrug of Dortmund, who was playing in the second division this time two years ago, exemplified the starkest difference between the two teams.
Dortmund got the better of the first half, driven by a fervent home crowd that jeered and whistled at every move made by Mbappe. Jadon Sancho was especially impressive down the right side.
After 14 minutes, Marcel Sabitzer had the finest opportunity for Dortmund to take the lead, shooting straight at Gianluigi Donnarumma from a close range.
After 36 minutes, Fuellkrug’s outstanding old-fashioned forward play finally paid off as the goal was scored.
center-back With the ball deep in his own half, Nico Schlotterbeck considered a safe throw back to the custodian, but he punted it forward instead, a move that only Fuellkrug saw coming.
With a single touch, the striker controlled the ball and beat Donnarumma with a low shot.
Despite their offensive prowess in the first half, PSG had limited opportunities and had no shots on goal. This was after they had just wrapped up the Ligue 1 title the previous weekend.
After the break, though, the visitors came alive, with Mbappe striking the inside of one post only seconds before Achraf Hakimi, a former Dortmund wing-back, struck the inside of the other.
After 56 minutes, PSG had a chance to tie the score when Marquinhos curled a magnificent pass through a packed Dortmund box, but Fabian Ruiz’s diving header missed.
With ten minutes remaining, Ousmane Dembele, another former Dortmund player, blasted over straight ahead.
With just a few seconds remaining, the brilliant Sancho set up Julian Brandt for a fantastic ball, but some tenacious PSG defence dashed Dortmund’s chances of a second goal.
With this win and Tuesday’s 2-2 tie between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in the other semifinal, Germany, not England or France, will have an additional Champions League spot for the next season.
That has already guaranteed Dortmund’s spot in the competition for the next year.
Photo by EPA/FRIEDEMANN VOGEL
