Mats Hummels’ stunning header helped Borussia Dortmund grab a vital win against PSG at the Parc Des Princes. The German side needed a resolute defensive performance to keep their 1-0 aggregate lead from the first leg. They were saved by a bit of luck as PSG struck the post three times in the second leg. However, that does not take away anything from the stellar effort Borussia Dortmund put in to grab a win and advance into the Final.
Luis Enrique moved French forward Kylian Mbappe to the wing for the game as he brought Goncalo Ramos into the starting lineup. This experiment seemed to work as Mbappe got a lot more involved in the build-up than the first leg. Despite all their efforts, the Parisians were not able to find the back of the net, courtesy of the brilliance of Dortmund’s backline.
PSG dominated the game with 70% possession. They also took 30 shots out of which 5 were on target. The Parisians had 3.25 xG during the second leg but were not able to score a goal. They will be extremely disappointed as they would have expected to come out of the game as winners after their performance. However, Borussia Dortmund’s unwavering resilience helped them stay in the game and eventually grab a goal in the 49th minute.
Borussia Dortmund could give Marco Reus a fairytale ending to his stint at the club
Marco Reus has been one of the best players for Borussia Dortmund over the past decade. Although his career has been hampered by injuries, the German has been a class act every time he is available to play. It was announced last week that Reus would leave the club at the end of the season as a free agent. Having served the club for 12 years, the 34-year-old has not won the league with Dortmund. His only achievements with the club remain the two German Cups he won in 2017 and 2021.
He came close to helping them win the UCL in 2013, but Dortmund’s hearts were broken by their German counterparts, Bayern Munich. The team have finally managed to make yet another trip to the UCL Final, which ironically will be played at the iconic Wembley Stadium. A perfect storyline ending would be a Bayern vs Dortmund UCL Final at Wembley, wherein the men in yellow prevail over their rivals and give Reus his first big European trophy. The first part of the storyline looks completed, but they will now need Bayern to beat Madrid in the Semi-Final.
While the theatrics would certainly make things interesting, Dortmund would be more than happy to lift the UCL by defeating the record champions, Real Madrid. They have not had a great year, but winning the UCL would change things and help them give Marco Reus a great parting away gift.
