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UEFA Champions League: Paris Saint-Germain vs Borussia Dortmund
Kickoff Time: 2024-05-08 03:00 (HKT)
Source:REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
In the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals, Paris Saint-Germain lost 0-1 away to Borussia Dortmund. Despite failing to secure an advantage in the first leg, Paris Saint-Germain’s performance on the field was commendable, indicating no inferiority. Their defeat was largely attributed to bad luck. Paris Saint-Germain’s tactical approach centers around passing and possession, leveraging the running abilities of Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele to generate offensive opportunities while alleviating pressure on the defense. It’s noteworthy that Paris Saint-Germain had no league duties the previous weekend, affording them more rest compared to Dortmund, potentially granting them a physical edge in the second leg.
In the Bundesliga last weekend, Dortmund secured a 5-1 victory over Augsburg at home. During the match, Dortmund opted to rotate most of their key players to conserve energy for the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals. However, with consecutive weeks of double fixtures, Dortmund consistently face physical challenges compared to Paris Saint-Germain. Dortmund’s tactical approach relies heavily on high-pressure tactics, averaging 6.8 interceptions per game in the opponent’s half to prevent easy access to their penalty area. Notably, Dortmund’s recent away performances in the Champions League have been subpar, with only one draw and one loss in their last two matches. They drew 1-1 against PSV Eindhoven and suffered a 1-2 defeat against Atletico Madrid.
The two sides previously met in the Champions League group stage, where Paris Saint-Germain secured a 2-0 victory with home advantage. Additionally, in their historical encounters, Paris Saint-Germain have never lost to Dortmund at home. Considering Paris Saint-Germain’s physical and home advantage, there’s reason to be optimistic that they can stage a comeback in the second leg.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Last 5 Games: LDWWW
24-05-02 Borussia Dortmund 1-0 Paris Saint-Germain
24-04-28 Paris Saint-Germain 3-3 Le Havre
24-04-25 Lorient 1-4 Paris Saint-Germain
24-04-22 Paris Saint-Germain 4-1 Lyon
24-04-17 Barcelona 1-4 Paris Saint-Germain
Borussia Dortmund’s Last 5 Games: WWLDW
24-05-04 Borussia Dortmund 5-1 Augsburg
24-05-02 Borussia Dortmund 1-0 Paris Saint-Germain
24-04-27 RB Leipzig 4-1 Borussia Dortmund
24-04-21 Borussia Dortmund 1-1 Bayer Leverkusen
24-04-17 Borussia Dortmund 4-2 Atletico Madrid
Head To Head Record:
24-05-02 Borussia Dortmund 1-0 Paris Saint-Germain
23-12-14 Borussia Dortmund 1-1 Paris Saint-Germain
23-09-20 Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 Borussia Dortmund
20-03-12 Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 Borussia Dortmund
20-02-19 Borussia Dortmund 2-1 Paris Saint-Germain
Prediction: Paris Saint-Germain to win