UCL semi-final: Fullkrug gives Dortmund slight advantage

A ball over the defense, as well as good control and a powerful shot by Niclas Füllkrug in the first half, was everything Borussia Dortmund needed on Wednesday night at a packed Signal Iduna Park to beat history-chasing PSG in the second semi-final of the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League.

The 1997 champions were better from the start as Luis Enrique named the same three forwards who scored four against Barcelona on the final day. Kylian Mbappé played in the center, supported by Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembélé.

The first big chance came in the 14th minute, when Jadon Sancho dispossessed Nuno Mendes and gave a pass to Marcel Sabitzer, who had entered the PSG area, but Gianluigi Donnarumma opened up enough to block the shot. That action increased the intensity and Warren Warren Zaire-Emery was fouled by Ian Maatsen, resulting in the first yellow card being shown.

Marquinhos headed past Julian Brandt’s shot as the first half wore on, and Dortmund asserted their dominance. They soon got what they deserved when a lofted pass from Nico Schlotterbeck found Fullkrug in an onside position. The German international executed a perfect check before a controlled shot beat Donnarumma to score the first goal.

PSG centre-back Lucas Hernandez was also injured trying to stop Fullkrug and had to be replaced by Lucas Beraldo in the 42nd minute. Donnarumma kept his team in the game with an excellent save from Marcel Sabitzer’s shot just before the break.

In the second half, PSG seemed more determined and should have tied the match in the 51st minute, had it not been for the two posts. First, it was a curved shot from Mbappé that came off the inside of Gregor Kobel’s left post, and Achraf Hakimi’s rebound hit Kobel’s right post and bounced to safety.

Fabián Ruiz missed a goal in the 58th minute when he headed wide from inside the six-yard box. It was harder to miss the target. Dortmund shouted a penalty when Fullkrug appeared to lose pace as he rose to head home a header in the area. In the 65th minute, Enrique brought on Randal Kolo Muani for Barcola.

Mbappé found Dembélé with a nice lofted pass, but Kobel made another save. Vitinho found Dembélé in the box in the 80th minute, and the former Dortmund striker fired over the bar when he should at least have worked with Kobel. The game began with both teams chasing goals, and the match seemed more like a basketball game.

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Sancho then fired at Beraldo with a pass, but Brandt took one touch too many, allowing Marquinhos to make a goal-saving block.

At half-time in this match, underdog Dortmund have the lead and head to Paris, where they have never scored against PSG. It could be another big event.

Before the match began, PSG coach Enrique was happy that his team was still in the hunt for the quadruple trophy. Enrique said: “Little by little we have been improving our performance levels and now there is one month left until the end of the season and we are alive in all competitions.”

They will have to be more clinical in next Tuesday’s second leg at the Parc des Princes to continue living the dream.