BVB win 'Group of Death' after great game ends 1-1

Borussia Dortmund have qualified for the UEFA Champions League last 16 as group winners. BVB rounded off the group stage with a 1-1 (0-0) draw with Paris Saint-Germain after a high-class 90 minutes.

Boris Rupert reporting

The third home game in the Champions League was also completely sold out with 81,365 spectators in attendance. The attack-minded teams did everything but score in a high-quality first half which saw numerous opportunities at both ends. But the goals did come in the second period: Karim Adeyemi had the fans on their feet when he opened the scoring at 1-0 in the 51st minute, before Warren Zaire-Emery levelled five minutes later.

The scenario:
All four clubs in Group B, which featured Newcastle United and AC Milan in addition to BVB and PSG, could still finish in second place, but only Dortmund and PSG could win the group. BVB only required a draw to do so. PSG had won the reverse fixture by a 2-0 scoreline.

Personnel matters:
The list of absentees was really long. Can (suspended), Duranville (fitness training), Meunier, Morey (both not registered), Moukoko (torn fibres in his thigh), Nmecha (hip injury) and Ryerson (medial collateral ligament) were unavailable. Wolf, Sabitzer and Haller were available again, however; Wolf was one of three new faces in the starting line-up alongside Süle and Adeyemi.

Tactics:
Both teams were set up to attack, with five offensive players for both sides. BVB lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Brandt alongside Özcan in defensive midfield, while PSG took to the field in a 4-3-3 with Mbappé in the central attacking role.

The match & analysis:
There was no sizing each other up. It was end-to-end at high speed. With opportunities for BVB at the outset. In the 12th minute Wolf played a diagonal ball over to Bynoe-Gittens, who could have pulled the trigger himself on the left of the penalty area but instead tried to pass the ball to the better-positioned Reus, but a defender made the intervention. Reus tested Donnarumma from 16 metres out (10) and when Füllkrug cleverly laid off Hummels' pass, a gap seemed to open up for Wolf. But Hernandez came in at the last moment with a high-risk slide tackle and the ball ultimately sailed wide of the left upright (14).

That was followed by a very strong spell for the visitors, who had five big chances between the 16th and 24th minutes: Lee fired wide of the goal from six metres, Özcan blocked a shot from Skriniar, Barcola struck the post and Kolo Muani beat two players to go through on Kobel but then fired centimetres wide of the right upright. The most spectacular scene took place in the 17th minute: Süle initially misjudged a long ball to Mbappé, who went clean through, rounded Kobel and fired towards an empty goal from a tight angle. But Süle charged back, raised his leg into the air mid-slide and spectacularly cleared the ball off the line! Who says Germany don't have any monster defenders...

The shot count stood at 8-2 in PSG's favour after 25 minutes. But BVB were closer to going 1-0 up thereafter. A failed clearance from Marquinhos saw the ball fall to Reus, whose shot from 14 metres was turned around the post by Donnarumma (26). After a sliding cross from Wolf, Özcan shot from distance and the goalkeeper parried the ball in front of him, but Adeyemi could not steer it into the net mid-jump (32). And in stoppage time in the first half - following a top chance for PSG which had seen Kolo Muani go clean through on goal from Mbappé's pass, only to be denied by the Swiss shot-stopper - Hummels headed a free-kick from Brandt narrowly wide of the right upright.

It continued to be an open game after the interval too. Brandt went for goal from 22 metres directly after kick-off and caused Donnarumma problems. BVB chased and pressed PSG early and high. That's how the ball was won by Bensebaini, who carried it down the left and showed great commitment to force it into the box. Füllkrug could not shoot on the edge of the six-yard box but side-stepped an opponent with a turn and squared the ball to Adeyemi, who fired it into the net off the inside of the right upright - 1-0 in the 51st minute. But the lead lasted only five minutes. Barcola ran down the left flank at high speed and cut the ball back from the byline to the edge of the box, where Zaire-Emery shot at full sprint and with power to level the scores at 1-1 (56).

PSG were playing to win, but BVB also continued to pose a threat. Substitute Malen had a powerful strike kept out by Donnarumma (62). But the majority of the dangerous situations took place in or on the edge of the Dortmund penalty area. Mbappé fired narrowly wide from 17 metres out (72) and then found the net following Hakimi's pass four minutes later, but the goal did not count (offside). Kobel subsequently made a strong save against Barcola (78).

Milan took the lead in Newcastle shortly before the end. Hakimi signalled that no more risks should be taken. Because if they had conceded a goal, the French outfit would have been eliminated from the competition.

Outlook:
The pairings for the round of 16 ties will be drawn this coming Monday. BVB still have two Bundesliga fixtures to play before Christmas: in Augsburg on Saturday and at home to Mainz next Tuesday.

Teams & goals

UEFA Champions League Matchday 6
BORUSSIA DORTMUND 1-1 (0-0) PARIS SAINT GERMAIN

Bor. Dortmund: Kobel - Wolf (Schlotterbeck, 69), Süle, Hummels, Bensebaini - Özcan (Sabitzer, 69), Brandt - Adeyemi (Reyna, 81), Reus, Bynoe-Gittens (Malen, 60) - Füllkrug (Haller, 81)
Paris Saint-Germain: Donnarumma - Hakimi, Marquinhos, Skriniar, Hernandez - Vitinha - Zaire-Emery, Lee (Ugarte, 68) - Kolo Muani (Soler, 90+5), Mbappé, Barcola (Asensio, 82)
Substitutes: Meyer, Lotka; Blank, Bueno - Letellier, Tenas; Mukiele, Danilo Pereira
Goals: 1-0 Adeyemi (Füllkrug, 51), 1-1 Zaire-Emery (Barcola, 56)
Corners: 4-5 (2-3 at half-time), chance ratio: 7-9 (5-6)
Referee: Nyberg (Sweden), yellow cards: Hummels - Marquinhos,
Attendance: 81,365 (sold-out), weather: rainy, 7 degrees