Despite their best efforts, Paris Saint-Germain lost the first leg of their Champions League semi-final 1-0. Here's a look back at an intense first leg.
A yellow wall to climb to open the gates of paradise... The Rouge et Bleu were engaged in a historic journey as they returned to the buzzing atmosphere of Dortmund for the first leg of their Champions League semi-final. It was a big night for Paris Saint-Germain, who went into the match with a particularly attractive line-up. Luis Enrique opted for a fast-paced attack featuring the Dembélé-Mbappé-Barcola trio, supported on either flank by Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi.
Dortmund-PSG is an exciting fixture. Even more so when it is played in a stadium where no team has managed to win in Europe this season... We all remember the draw here in autumn, in the group of death. Tonight, they were ready to do battle. In the roar of the packed stadium, the high intensity of BvB's game was to be expected. The opening minutes set the scene: fierce duels, hard passes and tough tackles... We were witnessing a real battle between 22 caged lions.
It was to be expected and the intensity of the match confirmed our predictions, with the Germans putting monumental pressure on our defence. In this electric atmosphere, our Red and Blues had to show a lot of character to resist. While still taking it all in, the Parisians held out like warriors, until Füllkrug converted a quick attack to open the scoring (1-0, 36'). Frustrating, but not discouraging! We knew we'd have to face some headwinds here, and things soon got worse with Lucas Hernandez's injury, who came off just before half-time.
But the Parisians had plenty to offer themselves. After the break, they completely reversed the balance of power. There was everything: intent, determination and even chances. The only thing missing was a goal! In fact, they came very close, with Kylian Mbappé and Achraf Hakimi both hitting the post to increase the pressure on the home side's goal (50'). The Parisians had really started to get going.
As the minutes ticked by, the tension rose, and the electricity in the air gradually gave way to real aggression from the home side. Once again, we had to resist the temptation to get sucked into the trap and keep our cool. Ousmane Dembélé, set up by Kylian Mbappé, came up against Kobel (71'), before seeing his shot go wide (79'). We had to keep pressing, again and again... And not let up at the other end, like our captain Marquinhos, who pulled off a heroic and passionate block (82').
So yes, at the end of a particularly intense semi-final first leg, Dortmund came out on top. But there were plenty of positives to take from the match, including 11 shots from Paris in the second half, two efforts that hit the post, more possession than our hosts and a constant fighting spirit. The marks of a team that is far from having said its last word. Although the Germans are leading on the scoreboard at the moment, it's only half-time. We'll have to wait until the second leg to see a knockout... In 6 days' time, our Red and Blues will return to their Parc des Princes backyard to try and write a new chapter in the European history of Paris Saint-Germain. Time for the second leg!