UCL: PSG vs Dortmund: A history
Ahead of Paris Saint-Germain's return to the UEFA Champions League tomorrow evening, as the Ligue 1 Uber Eats champions face Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their semifinal tie at the Westfalenstadion, the two look to be familiar foes. Of course the two previously met in this same competition in the group stage, with PSG winning decisively at home on the first matchday before scraping a draw on the last to ensure their progress. But before this season, the two had also clashed in European play on two other occasions, neither of which lacked for drama — here’s a closer look at those encounters:
2010-11 UEFA Europa League Stage
A pre-QSI PSG, led by Antoine Kombouaré, were drawn with Jürgen Klopp’s Dortmund in Group J. With Sevilla also in the group, progression was no easy task, and their two matches, played on Matchdays 3 and 4, reflected that. In the first of these two, the teams played to a scoreless draw in Germany, with Kombouaré having slightly rotated his side.
The reverse fixture, held at the Parc des Princes, was anything but dull. Both teams were nervy, but unafraid to attack, and the visitors were rewarded first with a penalty, converted by Nuri Sahin just after the break. The match looked a lost cause until substitute Clément Chantôme struck an equaliser three minutes from full time, benefiting from some fine hold-up play from Guillaume Hoarau, a result that would help them top the group and eventually progress to the Round of 16 before being eliminated by Benfica.
2019-20 UEFA Champions League Round of 16
Played in the shadow of the looming COVID-19 crisis, this tie was nonetheless a thrilling one in a season that saw the Parisians eventually reach the final, knocking out Atalanta and RB Leipzig after edging Dortmund. Late drama against Atalanta notwithstanding, this tie was arguably the most impressive from Thomas Tuchel’s side. Erling Haaland’s double in the first leg in Germany had secured a 2-1 advantage for Lucien Favre and his charges, and playing in an empty Parc des Princes, they might have harbored hopes of progressing.
Those hopes were dashed, though, as PSG delivered an incisive performance to win 2-0, putting the visitors under pressure from the off and earning the win thanks to goals from Neymar, from Ángel Di María’s corner, and Juan Bernat. Buoyed by the sound of two thousand fans cheering outside the ground, the team played sparkling football from front to back, scoring both goals before halftime before mastering the game’s latter stages to advance.
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