Borussia Dortmund achieved a great 1-0 victory against Paris Saint-Germain in France with a header from Mats Hummels andand qualified for the grand final of the 2023/2024 UEFA Champions League which will be played next Saturday, June 1 at Wembley. The emotional semi-final can be relived in Star+ (for South America).
The German team played with courage and determination as a visitor and deactivated the main virtues of PSG, who did not have the rebellion necessary to break the solid structure of the rival nor the luck and forcefulness. Thus, once again his dream of winning the top European tournament was frustrated. The German team hit at the right time and then maintained the advantage despite PSG’s desperate attempts and having taken refuge very close to their goal.
Kylian Mbappé was unknown throughout the series. He was seen isolated from the game, first on the left wing and well controlled by full-back Julian Ryerson and then more in the center and also lost among the defenders. The main weapon of the team led by Luis Enrique had few opportunities in front of Gregor Kobel’s goal and He said goodbye in the semis in what could be his last season in Paris.
Dortmund played smartly. He defended well with the two lines of four together and as far away from Kobel as possible. Then, he tried to come out quickly on the counterattack using the intelligence and talent of Julian Brandt and the speed and skill of Jadon Sancho. Both were a constant concern for the local.
The German team knew how to occupy the entire width of the playing field well, with the retreat and wear of the wingers Karim Adeyemi and Sancho. In this way, he took away space from Ousmane Dembélé and Mbappé himself. Until the obvious reaction of the local team when they were already losing 1-0, they had suffered very little.
Also The work of the centre-backs Nico Schlotterbeck, the great figure of the game, and Mats Hummels was very good., always very attentive. Furthermore, as if to make the task of the German defenders in the Parc des Princes more outstanding, it was Hummels himself who scored the first goal with a great header.
In the center of the field, Vitinha, PSG’s best player, had several moments of lucidity, although he was seen very alone in his task of connecting with the attackers. Fabián Ruiz and Warren Zaire-Emery did not have a good night and the team suffered. Dortmund worked well in the middle zone, thanks to the judgment of Emre Can and Marcel Sabitzer.
PSG lacked rebellion first and forcefulness later to overcome the good visitor approach. In the first half, he had the ball and tried patiently, but He only showed fierceness to go for victory after Hummels’ goal, especially from Dembélé’s overflows. Gonçalo Ramos spent the time he was on the field almost unnoticed.
Dortmund took what they came to Paris for: historic qualification to their third Champions League final. Through intelligence and bravery he won the series fairly and dealt another hard blow to a PSG that even with Mbappé could not win the desired Orejona.
