Head coach at Borussia Dortmund between 2015 and 2017, Thomas Tuchel is ready to take on his former club with Paris Saint-Germain. It's obviously a special match for the German tactician who looked ahead to the UCL last-16 clash for UEFA.com.
When the draw was held, Thomas Tuchel knew there was a chance of a trip to his homeland: "We knew that there was that possibility. It’s special by all means. I was there for two years and I lived there for three years. We could have got an easier draw, but at the end of the day you need to take it as it comes."
In two seasons at the helm of BvB, Tuchel recorded 67 wins, 23 draws and 17 losses in 107 matches and he lifted the German Cup in 2017, before leaving the club. In a season and a half with Paris Saint-Germain, Tuchel has won 73 of 94 matches.
He knows Borussia well and he made his mark at Signal Iduna Park. During his two seasons with the BvB, they averaged 64% possession; a statistic that has barely changed now that he's with Paris and averaging 64.35% possession over the last 18 months. Another similarity: Tuchel's Dortmund averaged 16.3 shots per game compared to Paris Saint-Germain's 15.6.
The Rouge et Bleu coach knows what awaits on Tuesday: I expect a Borussia that are strong in attack. "I know that we also have the qualities to hurt the opposition in every phase, we’re capable of scoring at any time – scoring several goals, as are BVB. Both teams are also good after winning the ball, so we’ll see if we’re confident enough to dominate the game for large parts. It’ll be important that we have smart risk management: where we lose balls, when we lose balls, where we take risks on the pitch, where we take no risks because the threat of a counter attack is too high. It might also be that it’s an open game in parts, an end-to-end battle."
An open match, constant danger... Defence will be one of the keys to success. In this department, Tuchel's Rouge et Bleu have an advantage over his former club: he 1.08 goals conceded per match with the BvB, compared to 0.78 Paris Saint-Germain. This season, Borussia Dortmund conceded eight goals (including three at home) in the group stage, against just two for Paris (2-2 away to Real Madrid). The Paris attack netted 17 goals - nine more than the German side with eight.
The final element of this enticing encounter will be the atmospheres at the Signal Iduna Park and the Parc des Princes. The match will be of great intensity on the pitch, but also in the stands and on this point, Thomas Tuchel has no doubt: "I’m sure that we’ve got many players who can be successful on this stage, because they’re used to it. Because at PSG they feel that pressure every three days and there’s a similar atmosphere at the Parc des Princes. But we’ve proved that in Liverpool, we’ve proved that in Naples, in Belgrade, in Madrid, in Istanbul, in Manchester that we’re capable of keeping our heads cool at this level and performing at our best. I think it’s simply impossible to get them ready for the atmosphere by just explaining it to them on paper."