In the rematch of their Champions League semi-final, Paris Saint-Germain is poised to rectify their missteps against Borussia Dortmund after falling short in the first leg.
The French champions find themselves on the brink of familiar European heartbreak following last week's 1-0 defeat at the Signal Iduna Park.
PSG squandered numerous opportunities last week, with French international Ousmane Dembele notably enduring a frustrating performance against his former club. Meanwhile, Dortmund's key figure, Niclas Fullkrug, demonstrated lethal attacking prowess, capitalizing on a brilliant run to put Luis Enrique's side behind.
Borussia Dortmund notched their fifth clean sheet of the current Champions League campaign, largely due to PSG's inability to convert their chances. The French powerhouse, despite their weekend break from domestic action, have already clinched the Ligue 1 title once again.
The Champions League has often been a tale of near misses for Les Parisiens, but under Luis Enrique's guidance, they've demonstrated resilience, as seen in their comeback against Barcelona in the quarter-finals. Now, they stand on the brink of making history by reaching the final after losing the first legs of both the quarter-finals and semi-finals.
However, PSG's recent defensive struggles, marked by a seven-game streak without a clean sheet across all competitions, and their inconsistent home form, winning just three of their last eight home matches, raise concerns. Nevertheless, they have consistently found the net at the Parc des Princes, failing to score just once since the start of the season - a goalless draw with Lorient on the opening weekend of the Ligue 1 campaign.
Kylian Mbappe is PSG's leading goalscorer with 43 goals in all competitions this season, but remains without a goal in his last two meetings with Dortmund. The French forward scored three goals in his first two matches against BVB but that happened in April 2017, when Mbappe was still playing for AS Monaco.
Since he joined PSG, Mbppe had only scored one goal in five matches with the German outfit - which came in PSG's 2-0 home win earlier this season.
The shortcomings of Dembele and Bradley Barcola in the previous encounter may prompt Luis Enrique to consider alternatives such as Marco Asensio, Lee Kang-in, or Goncalo Ramos to complement Kylian Mbappe in the attacking formation. Mbappe's potential final Champions League appearance for PSG on Tuesday adds urgency to the need for rectifying past attacking deficiencies.
Lucas Hernandez finds himself facing a familiar and unfortunate setback, as the defender mourns the shattering of his Euro 2024 aspirations due to a devastating ACL injury suffered in last week's first-leg clash. This injury, reminiscent of his ordeal during France's 2022 World Cup campaign, casts doubts on his return to the pitch until 2025.
Joining Hernandez on the sidelines is the long-term Achilles injury victim, Presnel Kimpembe, along with fringe players Layvin Kurzawa (back) and Sergio Rico (head). With these absences, the spotlight falls on 20-year-old Lucas Beraldo, poised to step in for the injured Frenchman, with Milan Skriniar's form being questioned.
Seeking to disrupt PSG's 24-game scoring streak at the Parc des Princes and pave their way to an unexpected Champions League final, Edin Terzic's side proudly carry the mantle of defensive stalwarts in this season's European campaign. Their fifth clean sheet in last week's narrow victory stands as the highest in the tournament thus far.
It was a poignant occasion as one of the club's icons - Marco Reus - bid farewell in his final Champions League home game for Borussia Dortmund.
Responding emphatically to a recent Bundesliga dip, which included draws against champions Bayer Leverkusen and a resounding 4-1 defeat to RB Leipzig, The Black and Yellow swiftly dispatched Augsburg 5-1 at the Signal Iduna Park last weekend. Marco Reus, announcing his departure from Dortmund, illuminated the Westfalenstadion with one goal and two assists, while the promising Youssoufa Moukoko contributed a brace of his own.
With their Champions League aspirations somewhat alleviated following the first-leg triumph over PSG, securing a fifth Champions League spot for the Bundesliga based on their UEFA coefficient, Borussia Dortmund now sit comfortably in the top ranks, guaranteed to finish either fourth or fifth.
Although the safety net of the coefficient ensures continued competitiveness, Dortmund faces historical challenges at PSG's home turf, having failed to win or score in their three previous visits. A dominant 2-0 defeat in September's group stage encounter highlights the uphill battle they face, with only Bayern Munich or Real Madrid standing between PSG and European glory.
Edin Terzic faces defensive concerns following last week's encounter, with right-back Julian Ryerson nursing cramps that sidelined him during the victory over Augsburg. Moreover, Ramy Bensebaini (knee), Julien Duranville (muscle), and Sebastien Haller (discomfort) were absent from action.
However, both Ryerson and Haller are expected to recover in time for Tuesday's trip to the French capital. Karim Adeyemi, who showcased his quality in the first leg, faces a fitness assessment after sustaining a knock over the weekend. Despite this setback, there's optimism surrounding his availability for the crucial fixture.
Adeyemi could potentially join a list of returning Borussia Dortmund players for the second leg, which includes Jadon Sancho, on loan from Manchester United. Sancho's performance in the previous match, marked by 12 successful dribbles, set a record for an English player in a Champions League game.
Paris Saint Germain: Gianluigi Donnarumma - Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Lucas Beraldo, Nuno Mendes - Warren Zaïre-Emery, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz - Ousmane Dembele, Kylian Mbappe, Bradley Barcola. (4-3-3)
Borussia Dortmund: Gregor Kobel - Julian Ryerson, Mats Hummels, Nico Schlotterbeck, Ian Maatsen - Marcel Sabitzer, Emre Can - Karim Adeyemi, Julian Brandt, Jadon Sancho - Niclas Fullkrug. (4-2-3-1)
Despite PSG's wastefulness in front of goal, highlighted by hitting the woodwork an astonishing 10 times this Champions League campaign, a well-timed respite from domestic duties has afforded Luis Enrique and his coaching staff ample opportunity to analyze and address last week's shortcomings.
However, Borussia Dortmund's star players are also well-rested, buoyed by the motivation to secure a Champions League medal for departing veteran Marco Reus. With both teams primed for an intense showdown, the electric atmosphere at the Parc des Princes is expected to set the stage for a thrilling encounter.
Whereas the outcome remains uncertain, we anticipate Paris Saint Germain will maintain composure to win the second leg at home, but would this be enough to win the tie?
