Champions League | PSG eliminated by Dortmund on the verge of the final

(Paris) Paris Saint-Germain, too imprecise, was beaten once again by Dortmund on Tuesday (1-0) and eliminated in the semi-final of the Champions League, on the verge of the final at Wembley.

A new great regret in the European history of the club from the French capital, which will not play a second final. Paris, however, had the offensive weapons and the arguments necessary to take out the “BVB”, a club well within its reach.

“We are the army of PSG and nothing can stop us,” even predicted a banner from the Parc des princes des grands soirs.

But like in the first leg (1-0), they showed neither enough intensity nor enough desire – especially in the first half – to repeat Barcelona’s feat and reverse the situation.

Ironically, PSG opened its European campaign in September by beating “BVB” 2-0 at the Parc.

This time Dortmund was too well organized and sufficiently positioned to be surprised by the Parisian attackers.

And when the Germans were, they were once again saved by their posts. Four times.

After the double post of Mbappé and Marquinhos in the Ruhr, it is Warren Zaire-Emery (47^e) and Nuno Mendes (61^e) who touched the amounts on Tuesday evening.

Then at the end of the match, it was Kylian Mbappé who hit the crossbar (86^e), while Paris pushed without managing to break through the yellow wall. Before Vitinha found her once again with a powerful strike (88^e).

Frustrating: Paris will have hit the opposing goalposts 14 times this season in the competition – including six times against Dortmund – a record.

“Football was not fair”

“The football was not fair on the back and forth”, “but football rewards the one who scores and not the one who hits the post”, reacted Luis Enrique.

After a first period where they had possession of the ball without doing much, they returned from the locker room with better intentions.

But the match would have had to start differently to hope for something for Paris, which fielded the youngest team in the semi-final since 2009 according to statistician Opta.

On their weak point, set pieces, they were punished by the “BVB” and Mats Hummels who took the upper hand on Lucas Beraldo and deceived Donnarumma, who did not come out, with a header (1 -0.50^e). His last goal with Dortmund in C1 dates back to 2013, the year BVB reached the final.

In the first half, faced with the boring game put on by the Parisians, one could wonder if they had realized that they were playing for a place in the final.

Even if they were more dangerous in the second, they were still too imprecise like the strike from Gonçalo Ramos –– preferred to Barcola – well above (60^e) or the head of Marquinhos (83^e). In total over the two confrontations: more than forty shots and six posts.

“I don’t really like to talk about bad luck, when you’re good you don’t hit the post, but you put it in, we weren’t good enough in that sector,” conceded Kylian Mbappé in the mixed zone.

This season, PSG had never had two bad matches in the knockout phase and seemed better with their backs against the wall. Better yet, Paris had never lost against Dortmund at the Parc, who had never scored there.

It was the worst night on Tuesday to contradict these statistics, as the final seemed achievable.

The French star, who had his last C1 match at the Parc des Princes with Paris, has still not shown his best face.

Since the announcement to his management of his departure, the N.7 has been far from his best level in the Champions League, and will therefore not finish in style with Paris.

Failing against Dortmund, when everything seemed to be smiling for the Parisians this season – until the draw for the final phase – is undoubtedly a big disappointment for the club.

“We are very sad and disappointed, because we hit six amounts, we deserved to win,” reacted club president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi in the mixed zone.

“There are going to be two days of deep pain and that’s sport,” Luis Enrique also confided. “It’s very important to know how to lose, to set an example for the children, you have to congratulate Dortmund, and accept defeat.”