LIVE: Borussia Dortmund vs Paris Saint-Germain

19′ It’s been a feisty start to the game. Neymar is left on the deck again as Can scythes through the back of him. It’s an obvious free-kick.

17′ Dortmund are growing into the game as Sancho gets hacked down by Gueye. The home side are looking to get forward down their right at every opportunity. It seems like they’ve identified Kurzawa as a weak point with Neymar unlikely to help his team-mate out.

15′ Witsel tangles with Neymar and gives PSG a free-kick. The fans boo and whistle their disapproval.

14′ Can hands PSG their first corner of the game as he nips in to stop Mbappe receiving the ball. Haaland heads it away at the near post and Dortmund are off on the break! Sancho has plenty of options but skids a low shot wide from outside the box. There were better choices there.

12′ Sancho slips in a promising position but Dortmund manage to keep possession. The passage of play ends as Guerreiro’s wayward cross floats out. PSG goal-kick.

10′ PSG get a free-kick in a central position as Guerreiro brings down Neymar. Neymar and Di Maria stand over it. Neymar soon steps up and fires a curling effort just wide of the right-hand post. Not far off.

8′ The offside flag goes up against Mbappe as he chases after a pass down the left-hand channel. The World Cup winner is annoyed but it’s the right decision.

7′ PSG put some extended pressure on Dortmund who are all back in their own half. Mbappe can’t latch onto Verratti’s ball forward for him.

5′ PSG are getting a feel for the ball in these early stages but Dortmund look lively on the counter-attack. Hazard keeps a pass in play down the left flank and fizzes a cross into the area but it bounces harmlessly out for a goal-kick.

3′ PSG threaten themselves as Di Maria almost slides through Mbappe in a quick break forward. Zagadou is there on the edge of Dortmund’s box to put a stop to it.

2′ Dortmund start the game with intent as Hakimi takes on Kurzawa on the overlap. The Moroccan wins a throw but the home side can’t keep it in play.

1′ And we’re off! Dortmund get this first leg underway!

The two sides are out on the pitch. Dortmund are wearing their black and yellow home kit. PSG will play in their white away strip.

There’s no clear favourite to go through here. The only previous meetings between these two sides were in the 2010/11 Europa League group stages – both games ended in a draw. However, on paper, PSG have superior firepower – no side scored fewer goals in this season’s group stage than Dortmund. Can Dortmund grab a first leg advantage at home?

Dortmund stick with the same XI that romped to a 4-0 victory over Frankfurt last weekend. Their captain Piszczek becomes the first player to reach 50 Champions League appearances for the club. In contrast, PSG ring in the changes from their wild 4-4 draw with Amiens in the Coupe de France. Only four players who started that game start here as their big guns Mbappe and Neymar return.

SUBS: Pablo Sarabia, Mauro Icardi, Thilo Kehrer, Sergio Rico, Tanguy Kouassi, Edinson Cavani, Julian Draxler.

PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN (4-3-3): Keylor Navas; Thomas Meunier, Thiago Silva (c), Presnel Kimpembe, Layvin Kurzawa; Idrissa Gueye, Marquinhos, Marco Verratti; Angel Di Maria, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar.

SUBS: Mario Gotze, Marwin Hitz, Mahmoud Dahoud, Manuel Akanji, Nico Schulz, Giovanni Reyna, Marcel Schmelzer.

BORUSSIA DORTMUND (3-4-3): Roman Burki; Lukasz Piszczek (c), Mats Hummels, Dan-Axel Zagadou; Achraf Hakimi, Emre Can, Axel Witsel, Raphael Guerreiro; Jadon Sancho, Erling Haaland, Thorgan Hazard.

In charge of Dortmund that season was current PSG boss Thomas Tuchel. PSG have reached this stage for the eighth season in a row now, but have made it no further in the last three. They’ve never made it beyond the quarterfinals. With another Ligue 1 title looking certain, PSG’s success this season depends on making progress here.

Here we go then – the long-awaited Champions League knockout stage. Dortmund have made it past the round of 16 of this competition just once in the last five seasons, back in 2016/17. Lucien Favre’s side will be hoping they can go at least one better this year.

Hello! Welcome to our live text commentary of this UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at Signal Iduna Park.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*