Jadon Sancho was the star of the show as Borussia Dortmund edged PSG 1-0 in a pulsating Champions League semi-final first leg through Niclas Fullkrug's fine winner.
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Borussia Dortmund's Niclas Füllkrug fired in a first-half goal to seal a 1-0 victory over visitors Paris Saint-Germain in a compelling Champions League semifinal first leg on Wednesday.
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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 keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma in the 36th minute.
PSG, fresh from being crowned Ligue 1 champions and desperate to win their first ever Champions League trophy, found it hard going against a disciplined Germán defence, especially in the first half with forward Kylian Mbappé largely neutralised.
With the return leg in Paris next Tuesday, the winners of the tie will face either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid, who drew 2-2 in their first leg in Germany, in the final at Wembley Stadium in London on June 1.
"It was a well-deserved win, a good team performance," said Dortmund coach Edin Terzic. "We could have scored more goals, but so could they.
"That's why the result is OK from my point of view. We ran a lot, but that's necessary in a game like this.
"You have to earn your way to Wembley. All we need now is a draw in the second leg, but we also want to win next week."
The win also confirmed Germany will get a fifth qualifying spot for next season's Champions League, with Dortmund being the main beneficiaries at the moment, sitting in fifth place in the Bundesliga with three games left to play.
Dortmund went close just before half-time with Marcel Sabitzer, but his shot was blocked by Donnaruma. The French side improved after the break and went agonisingly close to an equaliser in the 52nd minute with Mbappe curling a shot onto the far post and then Achraf Hakimi also hitting the woodwork on the rebound.
Four minutes later Fabián Ruiz saw his stooping header sail wide after being left completely unmarked in the box before Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel kept out Ousmane Dembélé's close range effort in the 71st.
Dortmund, winners in 1997 and looking to reach their first final since 2013, soaked up the pressure as PSG's Vitinha narrowly missed the target 10 minutes later.
Kylian Mbappe had cut a peripheral figure in the visiting attack, but that all changed in the second period when the 25-year-old struck the far post with a sublime curler before Achraf Hakimi crashed against the other upright seconds later.
Fullkrug then blazed a volley from the impressive Jadon Sancho’s cross over the top while Ousmane Dembele somehow fizzed over late on as both sides went close in a thrilling end-to-end finale.
The two teams will now reconvene for the second leg in the French capital on Tuesday with the winner meeting Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the final at Wembley on June 1.
Team news
Borussia Dortmund reverted to the same team who had beaten Atletico Madrid in their last Champions League game, making four changes from the weekend defeat to RB Leipzig.
Newly crowned Ligue 1 champions PSG made six changes from the side who secured the league title at Brest, after resting much of their squad for that game.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
14’ – DORTMUND CHANCE! Donnarumma makes a good stop to deny Sabitzer from a narrow angle on the right side of the area after more sharp work down that flank from the hosts.
36’ – GOAL! – Dortmund 1-0 PSG: (Fullkrug). What a strike! Fullkrug races on to a long ball over the top, takes a brilliant first touch and then drills a super low strike beyond Donnarumma.
52’ – PSG CHANCES! Mbappe comes alive on the left side of the box but his delicious curler crashes back off the far post. The ball stays alive and falls for Hakimi but his low effort flashes back off the other post.
61’ – DORTMUND CHANCE! Fullkrug skies a volley over the ball from eight yards out after a wonderful run and cross from Sancho down the right.
73’ – PSG CHANCE! Kobel produces a HUGE save to deny Dembele after a magical pass from Mbappe had unlocked the BVB defence.
81’ – PSG CHANCE! Dembele hammers over from 12 yards out after Hakimi cut in from the right and picked him out with a sharp pass.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH - NICLAS FULLKRUG (BORUSSIA DORTMUND)
Pretty much anyone in a BVB shirt was a candidate here with huge shouts for Sancho. However, Dortmund’s 31-year-old striker led the line brilliantly, providing his team-mates with a focal point to play off and capping another fine home display with a brilliantly taken goal that proved the difference on the night.
PLAYER RATINGS
BORUSSIA DORTMUND: Kobel 7, Maatsen 8, Ryerson 8, Schlotterbeck 8, Hummels 8, Sabitzer 8, Can 8, Sancho 8, Adeyemi 8, Brandt 8, Fullkrug 8*. Subs: Reus n/a, Wolf n/a, Nmecha n/a, Moukoko n/a.
PSG: Donnarumma 8, Hakimi 6, Mendes 6, Marquinhos 7, Hernandez 6, Ruiz 6, Zaire-Emery 6, Vitinha 7, Barcola 6, Dembele 6, Mbappe 7. Subs: Beraldo 6, Kolo Muani 6
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