Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) will be on the lookout to overturn their setback against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League semifinal return leg on Tuesday, aiming to redeem their missed opportunities from the first match.
Despite numerous chances in the initial leg, PSG suffered a 1-0 defeat at Signal Iduna Park.
The match was significant as it marked the final Champions League home game for one of Dortmund's icons, Marco Reus.
In the first leg, former Dortmund player Ousmane Dembele had a challenging game against his old team, contributing to PSG's failure to convert their chances.
In contrast, Dortmund's Niclas Fullkrug demonstrated ruthless attacking prowess, scoring a brilliant goal in the 36th minute.
He expertly received Nico Schlotterbeck's pass, took a sublime touch, and unleashed a powerful shot past the Parisians' shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma, marking his third goal in the 2023-24 Champions League, his debut season in the tournament.
Dortmund secured their fifth clean sheet of the Champions League season, largely due to PSG's missed opportunities.
PSG had the luxury of a weekend off from Ligue 1 action to prepare for the crucial second leg, despite already having secured the league title once again.
While PSG have often fallen short in the Champions League, they did overturn a first-leg deficit against Barcelona in the quarterfinals.
They now have the opportunity to make history by becoming the first team to reach the final after losing both their opening quarterfinal and semifinal matches.
PSG's recent form, including a seven-game streak without a clean sheet and only three wins in their last eight home matches, does not bode well.
However, they have been consistent scorers at the Parc des Princes, failing to score at home only once since the start of the 2023-24 Ligue 1 season.
Dortmund, aiming to end PSG's 24-game scoring streak at the Parc des Princes on their way to an unexpected Champions League final, proudly carry the title of defensive masters in this season's European Cup.
Their fifth clean sheet in last week's narrow victory is the highest in the tournament.
Their dominant performance against Augsburg on Sunday, with Marco Reus shining with one goal and two assists, was a fitting response to a recent Bundesliga slump.
This included a draw with champions Bayer Leverkusen and a 4-1 loss to RB Leipzig.
Despite the announcement of Reus's departure at the end of the season, Dortmund's future looks bright with players like Youssoufa Moukoko stepping up.
Moukoko scored two goals in the 5-1 victory over Augsburg, showcasing his potential as Reus's successor.
Dortmund's need to excel in the Champions League has lessened since defeating PSG, as this secured the Bundesliga a fifth Champions League spot based on their UEFA coefficient.
Dortmund are now guaranteed to finish either fourth or fifth in the rankings.
The safety net of the coefficient won't lead to a drop in performance from Dortmund, but their track record at PSG's stadium is not promising.
They have failed to win or score in three previous visits, including a 2-0 defeat in September's group stage match, where they managed just one shot on target.
Another dominant victory for PSG would set up a clash with either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid for the European title.
PSG's defender Lucas Hernandez, already sidelined from Euro 2024 due to an ACL injury sustained during the 2022 World Cup, suffered a similar setback in the first leg.
This means he may not play again until 2025.
Hernandez joins Presnel Kimpembe on the sidelines, along with Layvin Kurzawa and Sergio Rico.
20-year-old Lucas Beraldo is likely to replace Hernandez, given Milan Skriniar's inconsistent form.
After Dembele and Barcola's unsuccessful performances last week, Luis Enrique may consider Marco Asensio, Lee Kang-in, or Goncalo Ramos to support Kylian Mbappe in attack.
Mbappe is set to play his final Champions League match for PSG on Tuesday unless they can rectify their past attacking mistakes.
Dortmund also faced defensive setbacks last week, with right back Julian Ryerson leaving the field with cramps.
He was absent from the match against Augsburg, where Ramy Bensebaini, Julien Duranville, and Sebastien Haller were also unavailable due to injury.
Both Ryerson and Haller are expected to recover from their minor issues in time for Tuesday's match.
However, Karim Adeyemi, who was a dynamic presence in the first leg, picked up a knock over the weekend and will need to be assessed. There is optimism that he will be fit, though.
If Adeyemi is cleared to play, he will be among several Dortmund players returning for the second leg.
This list also includes Jadon Sancho, on loan from Manchester United, whose 12 successful dribbles last Wednesday set a record for an English player in a Champions League match.
