Borussia Dortmund showed great composure to reach their third Champions League final after Mats Hummels‘ second-half goal earned the visitors a 1-0 victory against misfiring Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday for a deserved 2-0 win on aggregate across both legs.
Hummels headed home from a corner five minutes into the second half to send the German club, who won the title in 1997, into their first final in Europe’s top club competition since 2013.
They will meet either 14-time champions Real Madrid or six-time winners Bayern Munich, who meet at the Bernabéu on Wednesday after a 2-2 draw in the first leg, in the final at Wembley on June 1.
PSG hit the woodwork four times but failed to find the back of the net as Kylian Mbappé, who is widely expected to leave the club at the end of the season, was unable to have a major impact on the match.
“We lacked efficiency,” PSG captain Marquinhos said.
“There are still positives to take from this competition. At the beginning nobody thought we would go that far. We’re out in the semifinals but with a new coach and a new project.”
Dortmund coach Edin Terzic said his team deserved their place in the final.
“I am very proud, very happy. We beat PSG and we kept a clean sheet. We had a bit of luck but we deserve to go to the final,” he said.
Luis Enrique’s team, who entered the tie as favourites to reach their second final after they finished as runners-up in 2020, made an aggressive start and Mbappé
had their first chance in the seventh minute with a half-volley as the hosts piled on the pressure.
With Mbappé on the left flank and Gonçalo Ramos as a lone striker, the France forward had some space out wide and the possibility to cut in and threaten the Dortmund goal.
The visitors, however, were composed and held firm. Their confidence grew and they had their first opportunity through Julian Ryerson, whose shot hit the side netting.
Dortmund had a better chance in the 35th when, after a sharp counter attack following a woeful Mbappé miss, Gianluigi Donnarumma pulled off a brilliant save to deny Karim Adeyemi.
PSG were lucky the score on the night was level at halftime.
Luis Enrique’s side stepped up a gear after the break with Warren Zaïre Emery‘s shot hitting the outside of the post after Mbappé’s attempt was deflected into his path by Ramos.
But Dortmund were more clinical as Hummels headed home from a corner five minutes after the interval to double the German side’s advantage over the two legs.
Ramos’s shot on the turn then went just over and Nuno Mendes‘s 25-metre missile hit the post as PSG reacted swiftly.
Another Mbappé attempt was deflected onto the bar before Vitinha‘s powerful
shot also hit the woodwork.
PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé was a constant threat after the hour mark but, just like the rest of the team, the France forward came more into the game far too late against a side who never lost their composure and fully deserve their place in the final.
Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.
