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The long-awaited moment has finally arrived: who will claim their place in the Champions League final? Paris Saint-Germain hosts Dortmund with the sole aim of overturning the odds, while Bayern Munich takes on Real Madrid with determination.
Kylian’s Paris or Reus’ BVB?
Tonight, the Parc des Princes opens its doors to the German visitors, who have come to nourish their hopes of returning to the Champions League final. It’s the last dance for Marco Reus, who announced his departure from Borussia Dortmund a few days ago. A chance for the legend, who devoted 12 years of his career to the yellow-and-black club, to leave with his head held high. Dortmund, after a solid performance at home, started with a one-goal advantage, thanks to German Niclas Fullkrug on an assist from Nico Schlotterbeck.
Paris at the Crossroads
Paris Saint-Germain find themselves at a crucial moment in their history. After a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Dortmund in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final at Signal Iduna Park, the Parisians must now react quickly if they are to continue their adventure in this prestigious competition. Despite the enthusiasm of over 80,000 fans and the pressure of the Germans’ “Yellow Wall,” PSG were unable to outwit their opponents’ defense or find the back of the net to secure a result.
It all comes down to tonight, Tuesday, May 7, at 9 PM at the Parc des Princes, where the Parisians can afford no mistakes.
Tactical Play
Luis Enrique faces a major challenge with the absence of his defensive linchpin, Lucas Hernandez, who suffered a serious knee injury in the match against Dortmund and is unavailable until the end of the season. This absence is all the more detrimental given that Presnel Kimpembe has yet to recover from his ruptured Achilles tendon. As a result, an experimental defense, led by captain Marquinhos and young talent Lucas Beraldo, will have to cope with BVB’s onslaughts. As for the rest of the team, Luis Enrique is likely to opt for continuity, retaining the same eleven as in the first leg, with the attacking trio of Dembélé-Mbappé-Barcola up front and the promising Warren Zaïre-Emery partnered by Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha in midfield. It remains to be seen whether substitutes like Kolo…
Dortmund Manage Tension
For their part, the Borussia Dortmund players arrived in Paris brimming with confidence. Their narrow victory in the first leg, thanks to a goal from their in-form striker Niclas Füllkrug, and their dominance in the league against Augsburg (5-1), where even their reserve team excelled, are signs of confidence ahead of their clash with PSG. What’s more, their key players, such as Hummels, Brandt, and Sancho, have been preserved and will be in top form for the match.
Downside for Paris
UEFA has selected Daniele Orsato to referee the clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund at the Parc des Princes. He was already on the whistle for the final of this competition, where PSG were beaten by Bayern Munich in 2020. He will be supported by fellow Italians, Ciro Carbone and Alessandro Giallatini.
A Clash on Mount Olympus
For the 28th time in their long and illustrious histories, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich will meet in the Champions League, this time in the second leg of their semi-final at the Bernabeu on Wednesday evening.
The two former European champions played out a thrilling 2-2 draw at the Allianz Arena last week, and either Borussia Dortmund or Paris Saint-Germain will await the winner at the Bernabeu.
Accustomed to extinguishing Bavarian hopes of Champions League glory, Real Madrid weathered an early storm at the Allianz Arena last week and delivered a Vinicius Junior-sized punch in the first half, but the Brazilian then had to be Los Blancos’ late savior in the second half.
Leroy Sané’s thunderous near-post strike and a calm Harry Kane penalty had turned the tie on its head in the first leg, but after Kim Min-jae — whose performance was nothing short of catastrophic — clipped Rodrygo in the box, Vinicius’ second goal of the night ensured that the semi-final would be left balancing on a knife edge.
Four days after their pilgrimage to Bavaria, a record-equaling La Liga title was secured by Carlo Ancelotti’s troops, who easily beat Cadiz 3-0 before watching Girona lose to nearest challengers Barcelona, ensuring that their name would be engraved on the coveted trophy for the 36th time.
Neck and Neck
Only one between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich could end the season with Champions League and Premier League medals, while the visitors from the Spanish capital saw their crown slip from their grasp against Bayer Leverkusen and have yet to even secure a place in the top three of the Premier League standings.
Thomas Tuchel’s men were at least looking to end the Bundesliga season on a high, with three consecutive wins ahead of Saturday’s trip to Stuttgart, but their hosts opened up the race for second place wide with a 3-1 triumph.
Kane’s 36th Bundesliga goal from the penalty spot was scant consolation for Bayern, whose spring injury crisis worsened with the loss of defensive duo Eric Dier and Raphael Guerreiro, an extremely worrying sight amid their defensive problems away from home.
Indeed, Bayern haven’t kept a clean sheet away from home in 2024 — they last kept a clean sheet against Manchester United in December — and they’ve conceded multiple goals in eight of their last ten away games, winning just three times in that abysmal period.
The defensive woes don’t stop there for Bayern, who haven’t kept a clean sheet in the last 16 games against Real Madrid and have never managed to beat Ancelotti in nine previous attempts against the distinguished Los Blancos coach; no team has ever had such a bad run of games without a win against a particular manager in the Champions League.
Real Reborn, Bayern Weakened
The return of Courtois and the return of Dani Carvajal after a European suspension mean that former Bayern defender David Alaba is the only absentee Ancelotti will have to deal with for the second leg, and changes will be plentiful after the Real coach opted for a reserve team in the win over Cadiz.
Vinicius, Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo, Toni Kroos, and Federico Valverde will be among the returning troops, but Ancelotti should avoid keeping Eder Militao, who is still not in top form after his ACL injury.
On the other hand, Bayern’s infirmary remains well-stocked, as Guerreiro is set to miss the rest of the season with the ankle injury he picked up against Stuttgart, while a bloodied Dier, who also had a slight thigh injury, came off at halftime of the same match.
Dier’s replacement was precautionary, however, so the former Tottenham player is expected to resume his role on Wednesday, while Matthijs de Ligt is also set to return from a knee problem and could further bolster Tuchel’s ranks.
However, Kingsley Coman’s groin injury will prevent him from being available again, while Sacha Boey (hip), Bouna Sarr (ACL), and Tarek Buchmann (hamstring) will also be watching the second leg from the stands.
Likely Line-Ups
Paris Saint-Germain: Donnarumma – Hakimi, Marquinhos, Beraldo (or Danilo), Nuno Mendes – Zaïre-Emery, Vitinha, Ruiz – Dembélé, Ramos, Mbappé.
Dortmund: Kobel – Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Maatsen – Can (cap.), Sabitzer – Sancho, Brandt, Adeyemi – Fullkrüg.
Réal Madrid: Courtois – Carvajal, Rudiger, Nacho, Mendy – Valverde, Tchouameni, Kroos – Bellingham – Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior.
Bayern Munich: Neuer – Kimmich, Dier, De Ligt, Mazraoui – Goretzka, Laimer – Sane, Musiala, Gnabry – Kane.
