PSG optimistic about Champions League final chances despite Borussia Dortmund defeat football news

Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique was hopeful his team will reach the Champions League final despite losing 1-0 to Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their last four tie on Wednesday. “This is football. Often it’s amazing and there are times when it happens. We would have liked to be in a different situation, but I think when you look at it, it’s a very equaliser,” the Spaniard told broadcaster Canal Plus. “It was a game of.” His team was defeated by the only goal of Niklas Fuelkrug in the first half.

The French champions had more possession and more attempts on goal, but were hampered by inaccurate finishing and perhaps a lack of luck – Kylian Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi hit different posts in the same move at one point in the second half. .

“Nobody ever said it would be easy in the Champions League semi-finals. The boys are a bit disappointed in the dressing room. We had a chance where we hit both posts,” Luis Enrique said.

“You have to say it is an extraordinary stadium but I am sure we will be very strong in Paris and we have nothing to lose.”

This is only the fifth game that PSG have lost all season, and the first time they have been beaten without scoring under Luis Enrique.

However, they can take solace from the fact that they have already beaten Dortmund at home in the current campaign, when the teams won 2-0 at the Parc des Princes in the group stage in September.

They overturned a 3–2 defeat in the first leg by defeating Barcelona 4–1 in the quarter-finals.

Going further back, PSG knocked the German club out of the Champions League last 16 in 2020 with a 2-0 win at home after losing 2-1 in the first leg.

Hernandez’s injury suspected

“We are two teams that like to go forward, that like to have the ball, that press. It was a very physical match,” said PSG captain Marquinhos – who scored late to deny Julian Brandt. Made an important leap forward – told Canal Plus.

“In terms of the result it is true that we had a lot of good chances, especially in the second half, clear chances that we cannot afford to miss if we want to go to the final.

“At home we will really need to make sure we convert opportunities like this.”

“It’s always very difficult to play here. We wanted to come here and win. We didn’t manage to do that but it’s only 1-0,” the Brazilian said.

“We have managed to do that in the past. We have shown we can do it, especially at home with the energy of our supporters. You can be sure it will be a different scenario there.”

Meanwhile, Luis Enrique said he had no news about the injury that caused defender Lucas Hernandez to go off at the end of the first half, but admitted it “doesn’t look positive at all”.

Hernández injured his knee while trying to make a save on the Fuelkrug’s goal and attempted to move forward before falling to the ground and being replaced by Lucas Beraldo.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)