Borussia Dortmund top Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in Champions League semifinal first leg behind Niclas Fullkrug

Jadon Sancho excelled as Dortmund earned a 1-0 win at the Westfalenstadion

Borussia Dortmund took control of their Champions League semifinal with Paris Saint-Germain at the Westfalenstadion, Niclas Fullkrug's powerful strike earning them a 1-0 win on a night where Jadon Sancho excelled for the Bundesliga giants.

Fullkrug fired Borussia Dortmund into the lead before the interval, darting in behind to claim Nico Schlotterbeck's precise pass over the top and driving past Gianluigi Donnarumma at the near post. The impressive Marcel Sabitzer might have added to the hosts' lead before the break as PSG struggled to get going in front of a boisterous Westfalenstadion.

The second half was altogether more impressive from PSG, however, Kylian Mbappe and Achraf Hakim striking the post seconds apart before Fabian Ruiz flicked a header wide. Chances still came Dortmund's way too, the increasingly impressive Sancho teeing up Fullkrug to lift a presentable opportunity over the bar.

By the final whistle Nuno Mendes must have been a relieved man to have escaped Sancho's examination intact, the Manchester United loanee completing a remarkable 12 of 17 attempted dribbles, the most anyone has managed in a Champions League semifinal since Lionel Messi against Manchester United in 2008. Had Julian Brandt or Sabitzer been more precise with their finishing Dortmund may have killed the tie off before their trip to France.

Instead these sides will face off at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday with PSG having plenty of work to do if they are to stop Dortmund from booking their passage to Wembley, where they lost the 2013 Champions League final to Bayern Munich.

[May 1, 2024 at 3:04 pm ET · James Benge]

FT: Borussia Dortmund 1, PSG 0

• 80' Dembele spurns chance to draw PSG level
• 51' Mbappe and Hakimi hit the post seconds apart as PSG battle back
• 36' Fullkrug drives Dortmund into the lead
• 13' Sabitzer draws save from Donnarumma as Dortmund start brightly

[May 1, 2024 at 4:58 pm ET · James Benge]

Full time - Dortmund take charge of the tie

What a brilliant display by Dortmund, who on balance deserve to be in the ascendancy ahead of Tuesday's trip to the Parc des Princes. PSG had their chances but never showed the ruthlessness of Fullkrug in the first half nor the devastating Sancho in the second. There will be an awful lot of work for the French champions to do if they are to overturn this deficit in six days' time.

[May 1, 2024 at 4:50 pm ET · James Benge]

Not long to go now

Fabian Ruiz has directed another header off target and Edin Terzic has seen enough to conclude some changes are required. They're not as defensive as you might assume with time winding down, Wolf and Nmecha for Ryerson and Brandt effectively like for like switches. Meanwhile Sancho continues to torment the PSG left. This is quite something.

[May 1, 2024 at 4:44 pm ET · James Benge]

Poor from Dembele

For the first time tonight, Adeyemi doesn't track Hakimi and suddenly the PSG man is away down the right flank. He cuts the ball back to Dembele, who has the space and time to pick a spot. Instead he hits it first time, well over the bar. That might be PSG's moment gone.

[May 1, 2024 at 4:39 pm ET · James Benge]

Sancho's cooking

Oh this is getting quite cruel for Nuno Mendes. Every time Sancho gets the ball he's going at him and there is nothing the PSG left back can do but back off and hope. It is almost as if we are watching a one-man renaissance before our own eyes, so devastating is Sancho looking with every touch. Two and a half years of Manchester United baggage is being stripped off the young winger. Get him to the Euros, Gareth!

[May 1, 2024 at 4:32 pm ET · James Benge]

Should Dortmund have had a penalty?

A few replays later, I'm certain that that's a spot kick to Dortmund. Fullkrug rises to meet a cross from the left but Mendes has two arms on his back, easing him away from a heading position. Anthony Taylor isn't moved, nor is his VAR Stuart Attwell, who you suspect just wants some peace and quiet.

[May 1, 2024 at 4:24 pm ET · James Benge]

Dortmund miss an even better chance

That was simply brilliant by Sancho, who draws Mendes to him and then flies past the full back and to the byline. The cutback is perfectly delivered and all that Fullkrug needs to do is keep the shot down. Instead he is leaning back and guides the ball over the bar.

That was the best chance of the match and Sancho's impressive game really has merited at least an assist. He's all dribbles, darts and committing the opposition. It doesn't always pay off but it's starting to with greater frequency.

[May 1, 2024 at 4:23 pm ET · Jonathan Johnson]

PSG pressure

The second half has been much better from the visitors in terms of intent. A flurry of chances in the opening part of this second half will have encouraged Paris as they chase an equalizer. Ruiz should have scored while Mbappe and Hakimi have both hit the post. Fullkrug's miss at the other end after a brilliant Sancho piece of play is a reminder that PSG must be more clinical with their next chances.

[May 1, 2024 at 4:15 pm ET · James Benge]

Off the post... and again!

Wow, the drama! Mbappe gets the ball just where he likes it, on the left corner of the box, and even though Sabitzer gets close to him he's still able to bend a shot towards the far post. Directly towards it, in fact, his effort clattering back off Kobel's left hand post. The right one is shaking soon after, the ball breaking to Hakimi in the box after another Mbappe effort. That's much more like it from the visitors.

[May 1, 2024 at 4:10 pm ET · James Benge]

Second half up and running

Immediately Mbappe is drifting wide to the left. Is that something we're going to see in the second half? He's still occupying some central spaces but how effectively is a bit of an open question. Barcola, meanwhile, drifts in from the left and whips a shot at goal. It bounces awkwardly in front of Kobel but the Swiss international holds on.

By the way it's worth noting that Dortmund are unbeaten in their last 10 Champions League games when scoring first, putting together a record of eight wins and two draws.

[May 1, 2024 at 3:54 pm ET · James Benge]

HT: Dortmund in the ascendancy

A jubilant Westfalenstadion will be bouncing for the next 15 minutes and understandably so. Fullkrug's goal has them in the lead and they have looked more likely to get more than PSG are to strike. I

t has been a curious performance by Luis Enrique's side, one typified by Mbappe. He has done well enough and had some dangerous flashes but one wonders if he would not be more effective getting the ball on the left flank, rather than the edge of the Dortmund third. So far he's yet to get a shot away, partly because Dembele just hits it whenever he gets an opening. Work to do for the Parisians but for the hosts this has been an impressive start with all action Marcel Sabitzer leading from the front.

[May 1, 2024 at 3:49 pm ET · James Benge]

That should be two

More danger from Dortmund as Fullkrug flicks on a delivery into the box. It drops to Sabitzer, whose first touch is a volley a little too close to Donnarumma. A really tempting chance has gone there for Dortmund, who are convinced that Maatsen should have had a penalty for what looked a feint touch by Marquinhos. Either way, confidence is flowing through the Germans, Kobel spinning an onrushing forward in his own box. A solid first half is fast approaching its end. PSG won't mind that.

[May 1, 2024 at 3:48 pm ET · Jonathan Johnson]

Hernandez heartache

That is a real blow for PSG as the France international has been one of Luis Enrique's most consistent performers. Winter arrival Beraldo has not exactly made a fast start to life in Paris so this one will not fill Parisien fans with confidence. Can the Ligue 1 champions right themselves after the double blow of Fullkrug's goal and Hernandez's injury as well as substitution.

[May 1, 2024 at 3:43 pm ET · James Benge]

From bad to worse for PSG

It looks like Hernandez injured himself in that Fullkrug goal, jamming his boot into the striker's as he absolutely whacked it into the bottom corner. He tries to carry on but goes down on the turf soon after. Lucas Beraldo replaces him.

[May 1, 2024 at 3:40 pm ET · Jonathan Johnson]

Haaland flashbacks

Fans who can recall soccer pre-COVID might feel like they have seen that Fullkrug goal before... PSG fans will certainly recall Haaland's finish against them back in the 2020 round of 16. Although not quite as explosive in its power, this one was equally impressive in how clinically accurate it was.

[May 1, 2024 at 3:38 pm ET · James Benge]

GOAL! Fullkrug fires Dortmund ahead

A brilliant goal from the hosts, Schlotterbeck firing a ball over the top of the PSG line at just the moment that Fullkrug makes his burst. The first touch on his right foot is sensational, giving him enough time to look up, assess his options and drive low into the bottom corner. Superb!

[May 1, 2024 at 3:31 pm ET · Jonathan Johnson]

Hakimi's hard time

It has been a tough opening half so far for the ex-Dortmund man on PSG's right flank. A couple of unlucky touches have undone some positions and scenarios. The Morocco international now gives away a foul in the right back position which hints at the frustration he has felt so far tonight. One sliced clearance later and Luis Enrique has probably only been made to sweat more by Ruiz's Verratti-esque approach so far. 

[May 1, 2024 at 3:26 pm ET · James Benge]

Mbappe starting to get into the game

It's so hard to defend Mbappe when he's in this mood. He drops into midfield to collect the ball and with the outside of his boot flicks it to Fabian. Such is the explosiveness of the PSG No.7 that he's soon flying behind the Dortmund line to collect the through ball, looking to put the finishing touch on a move few others in world football could manage. Kobel is off his line quickly enough to get there first.

This has been better from PSG, even if they are somewhat indulging Dembele's insistence on shooting whenever he gets the ball in the final third.

[May 1, 2024 at 3:17 pm ET · James Benge]

The game is starting to open up

After a slow start PSG begin to move the ball into dangerous areas, Hummels having to make a couple of neat interventions in his penalty area to deny Mbappe. There's a risk to the visitors moving upfield, however, and there is space for Dortmund to exploit in transition. Brandt does just that and Sancho, who loses the ball to Mendes and gets it back, slips in Sabitzer. Donnarumma is out quickly enough to repel the danger but that could have been so much better for Dortmund, who had Adeyemi unguarded on the opposite flank if they could have worked the ball quicker.

[May 1, 2024 at 3:11 pm ET · Jonathan Johnson]

Boiling atmosphere

This is what Champions League semifinals are all about... Superb atmosphere generated by both sets of fans although the home support are clearly dominant so far. The wall of noise has contributed towards an energetic start from Dortmund with PSG looking to take the sting out of their hosts early on. 

[May 1, 2024 at 3:10 pm ET · James Benge]

Get ready for a high octane foot race

Now here's a sight I never imagined, Achraf Hakimi getting blown away in a foot race. The PSG full back is something of a speedster, one who made his name charging up and down the right flank here, but he is being left in Karim Adeyemi's dust both going forward and backwards so far. You can see why Adeyemi was clocked as the fastest ever to play in the Bundesliga, hitting a top speed of 22.7 mph. You'd get a speeding ticket in London for that.

It's been a nice start for Dortmund, Ryerson finding plenty of space to advance into down the right and Sancho having some promising darts around the final third.

[May 1, 2024 at 3:03 pm ET · James Benge]

Kick off

Away we go. PSG immediately go long, Ryerson winning the initial header but the visitors soon getting the ball back. Marquinhos and Lucas Hernandez move it around before Barcola tries to slip in Mbappe but the ball slides just out of play.

[May 1, 2024 at 2:57 pm ET · James Benge]

The teams are in the tunnel

Kick off is moments away. The Yellow Wall looks amazing, hundreds of yellow and black flags adding to the majesty of the spectacle. Away we go!

[May 1, 2024 at 2:47 pm ET · James Benge]

The trophy has made it to Dortmund

... and so has Jamie Carragher!

[May 1, 2024 at 2:40 pm ET · Jonathan Johnson]

Deadly Dembouz

Ousmane Dembele scored for the third straight game away at Lorient last week and the France international has now scored four goals and provided an assist across his past six outings across all competitions. Two of those four goals and the assist came in Ligue 1 wins away from home while he also tallied in both UEFA Champions League quarterfinal legs against Barcelona. With three of those four strikes and the assist coming on the road, there is a feeling that Dembele could be dangerous in Germany against one of his former clubs. The timing of the 26-year-old's revival of form in front of goal could not have been timed better from Luis Enrique's point of view with this doubleheader against Borussia Dortmund honing into view. Suddenly, Dembele is a much greater threat to the Bundesliga outfit than he was earlier in the season when he missed the second group stage meeting due to suspension. Edin Terzic will no doubt have realized the threat he poses given how important he is to Paris' attacking play alongside Kylian Mbappe and Bradley Barcola. Considering he has also made a habit of coming into a more creative role central to the play, we could see Dembele switch between being a dangerous wide man and a virtuoso No. 10 at Signal Iduna Park.

[May 1, 2024 at 2:36 pm ET · James Benge]

Dortmund's heroes

Terzic's man have got to the semifinals the hard way -- via the group of death, a frisky PSV Eindhoven and Atletico Madrid -- and boy has it been their defense coming up trumps. Mats Hummels leads the Champions League in interceptions but if anyone has been a more vital component to the defense it has been Gregor Kobel.

Shots faced by Gregor Kobel in the 2023-24 Champions League, sized by xG value TruMedia

The Swiss international has four clean sheets from nine tough Champions League games and has prevented 5.78 goals, by some distance the best tally in the competition this season.

[May 1, 2024 at 2:30 pm ET · Jonathan Johnson]

How PSG got here

Luis Enrique's men saw off Barcelona in spectacular fashion to reach these semifinals with a 6-4 aggregate success sealed in Catalonia. This is PSG's third final four appearance from the past five seasons which is a big improvement on some of their earlier efforts. Real Sociedad fell before quarterfinal victims Barca in the round of 16 and it was Dortmund who finished above Les Parisiens in Group F although PSG won 2-0 at home and drew 1-1 away. That 3-1 combination would be enough to send the French champions to the final for the first time since 2020 and the Ligue 1 giants are unbeaten in their last 15 away games across all competitions since losing in Milan.

[May 1, 2024 at 2:25 pm ET · James Benge]

Luis Enrique's PSG rebuild

Would there be any greater way to burgeon Luis Enrique's already impressive managerial reputation than taking PSG -- the project that seemed doomed to never actually taste Champions League glory -- to victory at Wembley? Certainly the Spaniard has got an awful lot right since taking the helm at the Parc des Princes and earlier this week Jonathan Johnson laid out a few factors behind the rebuild. Here's one that really caught my eye, regarding the youth of this side:

PSG... have gone from seeking success with readymade stars to boasting the youngest average age of all of the quarterfinalists. To get this far with such a young starting XI is impressive and owes much to Luis Enrique's mastery with young talents. Also, certain regulars who predated the Spanish boss' arrival such as Achraf Hakimi, Vitinha, Nuno Mendes and Gianluigi Donnarumma are still 25 or under which is impressive given the collective experience that we associate with them all."

It's really remarkable how much fresher and more energetic this team looks, particularly that midfield of Zaire-Emery, Vitinha and Fabian. The engine room spluttered for most of PSG's Galactico era but we've already seen more than one of those players produce big performances in this competition. Would anyone doubt that they stamp their mark on Dortmund tonight?

[May 1, 2024 at 2:20 pm ET · Jonathan Johnson]

How Dortmund got here

Terzic's side edged past Atletico Madrid in spectacular fashion with a 5-4 aggregate score to reach the final four for the first time since 2012-13 under Jurgen Klopp. Dortmund could automatically qualify for the Champions League by winning it which would emulate their 1996-97 feat although they are major underdogs here. BVB actually came out ahead of PSG in Group F with Milan dropping into the UEFA Europa League and Newcastle United going out. The Germans have won just one of their last six meetings with PSG which came in the 2019-20 round of 16 but they are unbeaten in 10 UCL games at home in a run which included this year's last 16 opponents PSV Eindhoven.

[May 1, 2024 at 2:09 pm ET · Jonathan Johnson]

PSG XI verdict

Luis Enrique's starting XI tonight is arguably the strongest and most logical that he has available to him. Natural width with Mendes and Hakimi, solid central defensive options in captain Marquinhos and the left-sided Hernandez. The most functional midfield trio of Zaire-Emery, Vitinha and Ruiz topped off with the front three which inspired PSG to blow Barcelona away in the quarterfinals. Dembele up against one of his former clubs will fancy this while Mbappe needs to be more involved than he was against Barca and Barcola has earned this faith from his boss after a key role in Paris' turnaround against the Catalan giants.