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Dortmund advanced to the Champions League final after defeating Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 on aggregate in the semifinals.
After winning the first leg at home by a thin 1-0 margin last week, Edin Terzic’s side produced another fantastic defensive performance to deny Kylian Mbappe and co any joy in the final third.
Dortmund dominated a cagey first half before stalwart Mats Hummels scored the game-winner five minutes after the interval, becoming the third-oldest goalscorer in a Champions League semifinal.
In front of a rocking Parc des Princes crowd, Luis Enrique’s PSG had a night of anguish, hitting the woodwork four times in the second half but eventually failing to break through a well-organised BVB defence.
Dortmund’s victory propels them to their first Champions League final since Jurgen Klopp took over in 2013, keeping their ambitions of matching the class of 1997 alive.
Terzic’s team can now plan a trip to Wembley Stadium for a showdown against either fellow Bundesliga club Bayern Munich or 14-time champions Real Madrid, who square battle in the second semi-final on Wednesday.
PSG’s pursuit of an elusive Champions League title continues, and the setback is believed to be Mbappe’s final appearance in the competition for the French giants before the Real Madrid-linked forward departs at the end of the season when his contract expires.
Dortmund controlled the cagey first half
Despite winning the first game, Dortmund started the second match as underdogs. However, there was little evidence of that in the first 45 minutes in Paris, and Terzic will be happy with his team’s controlled and disciplined start, despite PSG’s few positive moments.
BVB neutralized Mbappe’s threat by doubling up on the French star on PSG’s left side. Mbappe had one half-chance inside the penalty area, but as he lined up a shot after a Fabian Ruiz cutback, Hummels made a fantastic block on the stretch to knock the ball off his feet.
Dortmund quickly broke on the counter-attack, creating the finest chance of the first half. Karim Adeyemi was at the heart of it, sprinting 60 yards towards PSG’s goal and forcing Gianluigi Donnarumma to make a strong left-handed stop.
Dortmund’s defensive resilience has been essential to their success in reaching the semi-finals, as they have now kept 10 first-half clean sheets in 12 Champions League games this season.
Dortmund vs PSG | UEFA Champions League Semi-Final
Hummels brilliant, Mbappe quiet as Dortmund frustrate PSG
PSG exploded out of the blocks in the second half, almost scoring their first goal of the match less than two minutes after the break, but young midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery’s shot from a tight angle hit the post instead.
Dortmund swiftly stormed up the other end, winning a corner and scoring with a bullet header from star defender Hummels. PSG were taken off guard when Julian Brandt curled his corner to Hummels, who raced away from Lucas Beraldo to nod the ball in at the back post for BVB’s first goal at the Parc des Princes.
Hummels has become the third-oldest goalscorer in a Champions League semi-final, after Ryan Giggs in 2011 (37 years, 148 days) and Edin Dzeko last season (37 years, 54 days).
Hummels’ only previous goal in the competition’s knockout rounds came in February 2013, when he scored for BVB against Shakhtar Donetsk in the round of 16.
PSG was under pressure to reply, and they came agonisingly close to equalising just after the hour mark when left-back Nuno Mendes unleashed a stinging 25-yard shot that slammed the far post.
Dortmund manager Terzic replaced Jadon Sancho with Niklas Sule and converted to a back five for the final 20 minutes, while Enrique sent on Bradley Barcola and Marco Asensio to provide a much-needed spark in PSG’s attack, with Mbappe playing in the middle.
Shortly after Marquinhos glanced a header inches wide, Mbappe saw a deflected strike from around 10 yards out clip the woodwork, before Vitinha smashed an audacious 30-yard strike against the underside of the crossbar, and the ball bounced clear, much to the relief of BVB goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.
Borussia Dortmund has reached the Champions League final after 11 years
Dortmund may have relied on the woodwork six times over the course of two legs, but they ultimately deserve all of the praise, particularly from the second leg, when they threw their bodies on the line and made numerous blocks to keep PSG from testing Kobel in dangerous situations.
Both teams will now return to domestic competition. PSG will host Toulouse in Ligue 1 on Sunday, one day after Dortmund travels to Mainz 05 in the Bundesliga.
