"Borussia Dortmund extended its remarkable journey in this season’s Champions League, advancing to the final after surprising
Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the semifinal second leg on Tuesday.
The German squad carried a 1-0 lead from the first leg into the clash at the Parc des Princes and somewhat capitalized on its good fortune in a thrilling encounter in the French capital.
Despite PSG dominating for significant periods of the match, it was Dortmund’s Mats Hummels who found the back of the net, the defender’s second-half header igniting celebration among the small contingent of away supporters in the 50th minute.
The home team threw everything at the Germans, but the match concluded 1-0, propelling Dortmund to the final in London after securing a 2-0 aggregate victory.
It will now face either
Real Madrid or domestic rival
Bayern Munich in the final at Wembley Stadium on June 1, marking the culmination of an unforeseen journey.
“The belief in reaching the final was already present early on,” Dortmund manager Edin Terzić remarked, noting that he discussed the possibility with the team prior to its round-of-16 encounter against PSV Eindhoven.
“The expressions on their faces were somewhat puzzled when I mentioned that the path to London is short. It will take some time for it to sink in for us, but the joy is already immense. We’ve grown with each match.
“We aimed to be the team that isn’t necessarily on everyone’s radar. The journey has been remarkable. We were aware that matches like today’s are often unlocked or decided by set-pieces. Mats [Hummels] executed it brilliantly.”
Dortmund’s Champions League campaign contrasts sharply with its domestic performance. The club currently occupies the fifth position in the Bundesliga standings after grappling with inconsistency.
However, in European competitions, Die Schwarzgelben have discovered a winning formula, as evidenced by the semifinal second leg.
PSG struck the woodwork four times in the second leg – a total of six times throughout the entire semifinal – and lacked a clinical touch in front of goal.
Star player Kylian Mbappé, in his final Champions League appearance for the club, was kept at bay for much of the night, with much of PSG’s attacking threat stemming from Ousmane Dembélé and Achraf Hakimi on the right flank.
In total, the hosts fired 30 shots against Dortmund, but the German side defended steadfastly to preserve its clean sheet over both legs.
“We weren’t inferior over the two legs, but in football, those who score are rewarded, not those who hit the woodwork,” PSG manager Luis Enrique remarked.
For Dortmund, it represents a journey coming full circle, given that its last Champions League final in 2013 also took place at Wembley Stadium.
On that occasion, Dortmund suffered a heartbreaking loss against Bayern Munich but will aim to fare better and achieve the most improbable of triumphs.
For long-serving club stalwart Marco Reus, the Champions League final will also serve as his final opportunity to represent Dortmund.
The 34-year-old announced his departure from the club at the end of the season after 12 years of service.
He was part of that 2013 final and described the feeling of being in that position again as “indescribable.”
“How we secured the victory won’t be questioned tomorrow. Shots against the woodwork won’t matter tomorrow. What matters is that Borussia Dortmund is back in the final. No one saw this coming. It’s truly remarkable,” an emotional Reus declared.
Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are presently deadlocked at 2-2 ahead of Wednesday’s second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu in the Spanish capital, with the final at Wembley looming next month."
