PSG optimistic about Champions League chances despite defeat by Dortmund

DORTMUND – Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique was hopeful his side would still reach the Champions League final, despite

a 1-0 defeat at Borussia Dortmund

in the first leg of their semi-final tie on May 1.

The French champions had more possession (54 per cent) and attempts on goal (14 to Dortmund’s 12) but were hindered by wayward finishing and perhaps a lack of luck – Kylian Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi hit separate posts in the same move at one point after the break.

In the end, they were undone by a solitary Niclas Fullkrug goal in the first half.

“It’s football. Very often it is marvellous and other times it is like this. We would have preferred to be in a different situation but I think when you look at it, it was a very even game,” Enrique told broadcaster Canal Plus.

“Nobody ever said it was going to be easy in the semi-finals of the Champions League. The boys in the dressing room are a bit down. We had one chance where we hit both posts.

“But I am sure we will be very strong in Paris and we have nothing to lose.”

It was just the fifth game PSG have lost all season, and the first time they were beaten under Enrique without scoring.

However, they can take heart from the fact they have already defeated Dortmund at home in the current campaign, winning 2-0 at the Parc des Princes when the teams met there in the group stage in September.

PSG also overturned a 3-2 first-leg deficit to knock out Barcelona in the quarter-finals by winning 4-1 in the return.

Going further back, they knocked Dortmund out of the Champions League in the last 16 in 2020 with a 2-0 win at home after going down 2-1 away in the first leg.

“We’ve come back from 1-0 down before,” added PSG captain Marquinhos.

“We’ve shown that we can do it, especially at home, with the energy of our supporters. It’s going to be a different scenario. We know we can do a lot better. We just need to take our chances and be more decisive.”

Dortmund, on the other hand, were clinical in the 36th minute.

Nico Schlotterbeck floated a pass into Fullkrug’s path and the Germany forward controlled the ball with a perfect first touch, before drilling a low shot past PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

But the German side’s coach Edin Terzic was not complacent after his side’s victory, insisting that next week’s return encounter will be far tougher.

“We showed a very good game, a narrow win but a deserved one,” he said.

“It was a great team performance that got us there. We wanted that small advantage. But we know next week will most likely be tougher than today.

“This is just half-time and next week will be a different story. It won’t be easy to deal with their power play in front of a home crowd.” AFP, REUTERS