Champions League semi-final warm-up: Four talking points before BVB host Paris Saint-Germain – Fear The Wall

It’s finally happening, friends! For the first time in what seems like forever – or only since the 12/13 season – the Black and Yellows are one of the final four contenders for the most prestigious club trophy in the world. Wednesday evening, Dortmund hosts Luis Enrique’s PSG team at Westfalen stadium, before traveling to Paris for the return match next Tuesday. These will undoubtedly be two difficult stages, and while Dortmund deserve to be in the semi-finals of the Champions League this year, it is also clear that Dortmund are the odd one out among the four remaining teams. PSG are still chasing the title that continues to elude them, and Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are household names at this stage of the tournament. In short; Terzic’s men have everything to fight for, and a good result at home is crucial to ensuring Dortmund have a fighting chance in next week’s away game. Here are four talking points ahead of the semi-final first leg against PSG on Wednesday.

PSG will be more than ready

This weekend again, Luis Enrique’s team managed to once again win the French Ligue 1 title. The capital team has been marching more or less towards the title for several months, like what Leverkusen did in the Bundesliga this year. The Parisians are also still in the game French Cup, meaning they have a pretty realistic chance of tripling. In even simpler terms; PSG has All earn. The whole project is built around winning the Champions League, and Luis Enrique has kept the team going with only a few minor bumps in the road this season, namely a rather disappointing performance in the Champions League group stage. champions.

Even though BVB technically have everything to win, they have already done a little more than one would expect of them in this year’s competition. With a healthy squad, an inspired Kylian Mbappé and a proven coach with a clear concept, I think we can expect PSG to show their true colors during Wednesday’s match.

Marcel Sabitzer has the potential to lead this match

If Marcel Sabitzer can run the show against Atletico Madrid, so can he against this PSG team. Simeone’s team is one of the most disciplined in Europe, and not being as aggressive out of possession makes them difficult to break down. While PSG continues to dominate most of its opponents in the French league, the Champions League has been a different story. Luis Enrique seems to be taking fewer risks, and rightly so. This will most likely mean that Dortmund will experience many streaks of established possession, especially at home, and this is where Marcel Sabitzer can make the difference. The Austrian’s deep runs into space took Atletico Madrid by surprise and often led to a key pass, assist or even a goal.

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Of all the players in Dortmund’s current squad, only a small handful can change games on their own on the right day. These players in my mind are Kobel, Hummels, Malen and Sabitzer. Some might argue that Brandt and Reus also possess these abilities, but I chose to highlight Sabitzer because we are probably starting to find out what his true version is.

Controlling the state of the game means controlling the match

If Dortmund want to have any chance of beating PSG, there is no room for slip-ups. Terzic simply needs to clearly explain to his team what they can (and should) expect from an opponent of this caliber. Even with the Blacks and Yellows playing at home, PSG are will dominate the ball for periods of this match. They will be more aggressive if Dortmund takes the lead, and it is Terzic’s responsibility to prepare his team to be able to withstand pressure and know when to take over the match. Dortmund don’t need to be reckless, and I hope we see a similar match picture to the one we saw against Leverkusen a week ago. What should not What happens is that the match turns into an erratic back and forth, because if PSG and BVB each suffer 8 counter-attacks in 90 minutes, the Parisians will probably score more than Black Gels will.

If he starts: Mats Hummels must have a good match

It is looking increasingly likely that Mats Hummels will be fit to play – the question is to what extent. If I could only choose A player who was sure not to get injured for this particular match, I would choose Hummels 10 times out of 10. The German veteran has been simply incredible this year, especially in important matches on the biggest stage.

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So far this season he has delivered defensive masterclasses at San Siro and the Allianz Arena. He has been our best defender, and with his experience and ability to read the game, Dortmund’s chances of qualifying will increase significantly.

Your thoughts?

How do you see this match playing out and what will be important for BVB to achieve a favorable result? Let me know in the comments below!