• Tuesday, 24 December 2024

Dortmund defeat PSG to reach Champions League final

Dortmund defeat PSG to reach Champions League final

Berlin, 8 May 2024 (dpa/MIA) — Borussia Dortmund will play the Champions League final for the fist time in 11 years after they defeated Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in France on Tuesday.

 


PSG hit the woodwork four times, while Dortmund needed only Mats Hummels' header in the 50th minute to seal their spot in the final at London's Wembley on June 1. The German side won the first leg 1-0 last week.

 


"I’ve scored far too few Champions League goals in my career, just five. Now is a good time to add to that number. Since the second match of the group stage, we've believed that we can prevail in every game - and I don't see why we shouldn't win at Wembley now," Hummels told broadcasters Prime Video.

 


Wembley hosted Dortmund when they played their most recent Champions League final in 2013. Back then, they were defeated 2-1 by Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich.

 


Hummels was part of the squad who had to settle for second place 11 years ago, as well as forward Marco Reus, who last week announced he will leave Dortmund at the end of the season after a total of more than 21 years of service.

 


"Indescribable, what a week, for me personally. Back in the final after more than 10 years, in Wembley, where everything started. It's insane. Now we have to get it, otherwise it would be shit," Reus said.

 


The German clubs could have rematch of their 2013 final if Bayern overcome Real Madrid in Spain on Wednesday after a 2-2 draw in the first game.

 


Overall, this is the third time Dortmund play the Champions League final. The 2013 game didn't go their way, but they claimed the trophy in 1997.

 


Dortmund were coming off a season in which they lost the Bundesliga title to Bayern in the final matchday, despite having the advantage in the table.

 


"This is why we do this. We wanted to have created such moment last year in our stadium. After the game, it looked a bit different, but our fans were there for us. Today we could give them something in return and we're going to Wembley together," Terzic said.

 


"It will take a while to realize what happened, but we're extremely happy," he added.

 


Kylian Mbappe caught the sight of goal for the first time in the seventh minute, but he didn't hit his volley the way he would have liked as the ball went straight to Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.

 


The guests had the best chance of the first half in a counter-attack after Nico Schlotterbeck cleared a dangerous cross. Dortmund looked set to get the opener when Karim Adeyemi burst away from two markers, but keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma stretched his hand to make a big save.

 


PSG could have levelled the tie shortly after the break as Gonçalo Ramos flicked Mbappe's cross up in the air and the ball fell to Warren Zaïre-Emery, who hit the post from close range.

 


But Dortmund found a quick response to put down PSG's initial spark in the second half and were on target in the 50th. Julian Brandt's corner came in from the left and Hummels got away from Lucas Beraldo to head the ball in.

 


PSG were again denied by the post in the 61st after Nuno Mendes had a go from long range. Dortmund, meanwhile, thought they had a second when Hummels scored in the 77th, but he was offside.

 


To complete their dreadful evening, the Paris team hit the woodwork two more times, with Mbappe in the 86th and Vitinha in the 88th.