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Paris Saint-Germain are in danger of yet another Champions League failure. The French giants fell 1-0 to Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their semifinal Wednesday, and though they remain confident of overturning that deficit at home, they’ve left themselves no room for error next week.

Despite being crowned Ligue 1 champions yet again, PSG’s season – like every other since Qatar Sports Investments took control of the club – will be judged on their performance in Europe’s top competition. To give themselves another shot at hoisting the famous trophy for the first time, here’s what PSG must do to fight back against Dortmund.

Full-backs need to step up

For much of his career, Achraf Hakimi has been lauded for his attacking contributions and constant involvement from right-back. He tallied 17 assists and 12 goals across 73 matches during his successful two-year stint with Borussia Dortmund. This season, he’s among Ligue 1’s leaders for passes into the penalty area and for progressing the ball both with his distribution and strides upfield. He’s also recorded more touches of the ball than anyone else in Paris Saint-Germain’s squad.

But Hakimi won’t face a player of Karim Adeyemi’s industry and overall quality in Ligue 1 every week. His strengths were almost completely nullified.

Adeyemi was magnificent. He kept Hakimi occupied with bustling runs forward from a very wide position, trying to stretch PSG’s backline and therefore pry open gaps for his colleagues either side of the visitors’ center-backs. The defensive side of his game was arguably even better. Hakimi hit the inside of the post shortly after the interval, but that was only when he seemed to intentionally avoid Adeyemi with a wander to the middle. The Moroccan was otherwise hounded by the 22-year-old with sly off-the-ball barges and unsettling nudges while in possession.

Ian Maatsen – who didn’t let an early yellow card hinder his work – helped form an excellent double act with Adeyemi down Dortmund’s left.

PSG’s other full-back, Nuno Mendes, had a worse time than Hakimi. His solitary attacking contribution was an unsuccessful cross, and he struggled to deal with Jadon Sancho.

The Manchester United outcast, who returned to Dortmund in January on loan, reminded onlookers why he used to be one of the most sought-after wingers on the planet. He relished challenging Mendes with bewitching trickery and a determination to create chances for himself and his team.

It’d be an understatement to say Sancho won this duel. The Dortmund wide man completed the most dribbles of any English player that Opta has on record since the 2003-04 Champions League season – and more than all of PSG’s starters combined. Mendes was a lamb to the slaughter.

This simply wasn’t good enough from the PSG full-backs. Yet Luis Enrique doesn’t have many obvious solutions. Twenty-year-old Lucas Beraldo has filled in at left-back this term, but his unconvincing Champions League starts – especially against Robert Lewandowski in the first leg of PSG’s quarterfinal with Barcelona – won’t fill his coach with confidence. Lucas Hernandez, who started at center-back but is also an accomplished left-back, went off injured. Hakimi’s well-deserved reputation and the limited options in reserve mean he simply can’t be replaced.

Luis Enrique must stick with what he’s got in the second leg while devising ways for his midfielders to better assist his full-backs in attack and defense. The Spanish boss has rebuilt his reputation with some shrewd tactical ideas this season, but this may be his biggest test of all. – Daniel Rouse

Big problems in midfield for PSG

Luis Enrique loves ball-playing midfielders and runners who can break the lines. That combination has served him well enough during his first season at PSG, who’ve already won Ligue 1 and made the French Cup final. He’s helped turn Vitinha into a responsible deep-lying playmaker and 18-year-old Warren Zaire-Emery into a bustling box-to-box midfielder. To hammer home his philosophy, Luis Enrique has oftentimes deployed pass-first midfielder Fabian Ruiz ahead of bruisers like Manuel Ugarte and Danilo.

A midfield three of such quality can break down a stubborn five-man defense, and perhaps Luis Enrique thought Dortmund would line up that way. After all, they’re the underdogs, and they used a 5-3-2 formation in their 2-0 group stage defeat to PSG.

But Dortmund’s head coach, Edin Terzic, knew his players couldn’t possibly play that way again and expect a different result.

“You can say it politely and say we showed too much respect, or you can simply say we lacked courage,” Terzic said after the loss in Paris last September.

Dortmund took a far more direct approach Wednesday, and it rocked PSG to their core. The hosts went for the jugular every time, producing searing runs down the flank or through balls down the middle. PSG couldn’t cope with it. Zaire-Emery was unable to dictate the tempo, and Vitinha was a virtual nonfactor. Ruiz made useful runs into the penalty area but wasn’t the player PSG really needed at the end of those glorious chances.

Ultimately, a ball-winner like Ugarte could’ve wrestled back control. Luis Enrique may have no choice but to start the intimidating Uruguayan in next Tuesday’s second leg. PSG can’t let Dortmund dictate the tempo, and they certainly can’t let them go up 2-0 on aggregate as they search for a way back into the tie. They need an equalizer in midfield to balance their approach and ensure they don’t leave too much space behind them. They have to play with far more intensity, even if that means sacrificing some of their silky-smooth operators.

It was too easy for Dortmund this time around. Captain Mats Hummels had a grand old time foxtrotting into midfield and playing passes off the outside of his foot. That just can’t happen. PSG have to deny Dortmund the time and space to make the passes they want – especially when the majority of their efforts end up creating high-quality chances. – Anthony Lopopolo

Let Mbappe cook

One of the core tenets of any manager’s job is to put his players in the best position to succeed. There are various ways to achieve that, but in this instance, we’re being literal.

Luis Enrique’s decision to play superstar forward Kylian Mbappe through the middle, instead of his favored (and best) position on the left wing, actively harmed his team Wednesday. Mbappe is inarguably the most explosive attacking force in the sport, and as we’ve seen countless times, excels in open space. Instead of leaning into those traits, the headstrong manager, as he has for much of the season, put the prolific Frenchman in a central role, flanked this time by ascendant youngster Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele. That obviously can work. Indeed, it has worked all year; Mbappe has 43 goals in all competitions this season. He can do damage from anywhere. But it was painfully clear very early against Dortmund that this approach wasn’t yielding positive returns. Mbappe had the fewest touches of any PSG outfield player in the opening half (26), too often finding himself crowded out by some combination of Dortmund defenders and midfielders who were hyperaware of his positioning at all times.

In theory, that could have created space for his fellow forwards, but making Mbappe anything even resembling a decoy is, frankly, an enormous waste.

Mbappe’s heatmap vs. Dortmund

(Image source: WhoScored.com)

When Randal Kolo Muani replaced Barcola in the 65th minute, the solution seemed obvious: the substitute could play centrally, while Mbappe could slide out to his preferred position. It didn’t happen. Kolo Muani took up the same spot Barcola had occupied, leaving Mbappe to continue toiling.

It was no coincidence that PSG’s best chances of the game came when Mbappe twice drifted out wider to the left and found space in the channel, first cutting inside and striking the post before then setting up a glorious opportunity with a clever chip. In both instances, he was able to build up some steam on the run and put his defender on the back foot. Starting in the middle, often with his back to goal, robbed him of that chance and made life easier for Dortmund.

Luis Enrique’s desire to start Barcola was understandable. The 21-year-old is enjoying a true breakout season, blossoming into a star in his own right. But if his inclusion in the lineup comes at the expense of using Mbappe in his most effective role, it’s doing PSG a disservice.

The Spanish tactician has reiterated multiple times this season that PSG need to get used to playing without Mbappe ahead of the 25-year-old’s expected departure this summer. But this is not the moment to be preparing for the future. All that matters now is getting to the Champions League final, and putting the best forward on the planet in position to succeed is the simplest way to accomplish that in the second leg. – Gianluca Nesci

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Bayern Munich and Real Madrid played out a pulsating 2-2 draw in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal, going back and forth in a contest befitting its “European Clasico” moniker.

Below, we dive into the main talking points from Tuesday’s clash in Bavaria and look ahead to next week’s decisive second leg, examining the path to victory, and a place in the final, for each team.

Bayern must be ambitious in Madrid

The dynamism of Bayern Munich’s attack was promising. Gaps inside each Real Madrid full-back were quickly infiltrated with smart passes, including when Leroy Sane fired straight at Andriy Lunin in the first minute. Noussair Mazraoui pinched the ball from Jude Bellingham before Harry Kane, buoyed by his side’s bright start, quickly pinged a shot from the center circle that nearly embarrassed Lunin.

After 15 minutes of action, Kane, Sane, and Jamal Musiala had an even share of six shots. Real Madrid didn’t have an attempt on goal until the 24th minute, but because it’s Real Madrid in the Champions League knockout rounds, it went in.

But Bayern were determined to not succumb to Los Blancos’ midweek mystique. Thomas Tuchel believed in his side’s ability to overturn Vinicius Junior’s opener and cause Real Madrid problems. At the break, he switched Musiala and Sane’s flanks so they could be more direct with their runs, moving toward the middle to shoot with their stronger foot, and swapped Leon Goretzka with the livelier Raphael Guerreiro in central midfield.

Twelve minutes into the second half, Bayern took the lead.

The energetic Konrad Laimer ran into space and flicked a ball out wide to Sane, who skipped in front of left-back Ferland Mendy before slamming home a ferocious near-post finish. Kane scored Bayern’s second goal from the penalty spot after Musiala’s run inside from the opposite wing drew a challenge from Lucas Vazquez.

The right side of Real Madrid’s defense should be tougher in the second leg; Dani Carvajal will return from suspension and has quietly been one of the more consistent performers in this Champions League season. However, Bayern should be positive in the second leg after unsettling the serial European champions.

While Thomas Muller was involved in the buildup that eventually earned Bayern’s penalty, he was largely quiet in the first half and didn’t shoot during his 79-minute appearance. Lining up a trio of Sane, Musiala, and a fully fit Serge Gnabry behind Kane would bring more versatility, unpredictability, and oomph – and, however simple those qualities may be, they’re exactly what put Real Madrid on the back foot at the Allianz Arena.

“Everything we’re fighting for is in this competition. We’ve just got to find a way to get it done,” Kane told TNT Sports. “Real Madrid away is going to be tough, but we’ve got to go there with full belief and go for the win.” – Daniel Rouse

Madrid’s success rests on defense

Real Madrid can always turn nothing into something. “You don’t see it coming when they score,” Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel told reporters last week. But their goals only matter when they don’t concede a bunch along the way.

The foundation of Madrid’s lasting, and often bewildering, success is their defense. Their backline usually buys their attack enough time to score the goals they need to advance. They don’t need to blow out opponents or dominate possession. As Thierry Henry said on CBS, “You can also control the game (by) defending well.”

Whether Madrid advance to the Champions League final rests not only on Vinicius Junior – whose crucial brace ensured the tie remains all square heading into the second leg – but their ability to keep it clean at the back. Carlo Ancelotti’s side can’t afford to hand Bayern any more freebies. It gave away early chances, allowed the Germans to seize control and penetrate the 18-yard box, and encouraged Bayern’s wingers to run in from the flanks and attack their back-pedaling defenders.

Madrid opened their quarterfinal with Manchester City with similarly slack defending but corrected their mistakes in a strong second-leg performance that rendered most of the Premier League champions’ 33 ensuing shots futile. City had less room to exploit in wide areas than they had in the opening match, and Madrid largely kept the ball in front of them, doing less chasing and more marking.

That needs to happen again next week. Neither Musiala nor Sane can have as much time and space to run into the penalty area. Madrid left-back Mendy is a clear weakness – Bayern ran him ragged until he coughed up a chance – and Vazquez is a Band-Aid solution at right-back despite his recent heroics in El Clasico.

The returning Carvajal will certainly help, but there’s little else covering those gaps, and it’s up to Madrid’s midfield and wingers to track back and ensure they don’t appear again. That means more running for Rodrygo and Vinicius, and a much more meaningful performance from Bellingham, who was as ineffective in the first leg as he has been all season. – Anthony Lopopolo

Individual blunders change games

Ancelotti and Tuchel will make a handful of adjustments heading into next week’s second leg, each of which will be key to determining which side makes the final. Can Bayern figure out a way to limit Toni Kroos’ influence? Will Real Madrid sit back again and look to hit on the counter, or can they crank up the pressure at home?

But the simplest path to victory – or, at least, to avoiding defeat – is the most obvious one: Don’t make glaring individual errors. Kim Min-jae did precisely that Tuesday. It’s been a difficult first season in Germany for the South Korean, who arrived for roughly €50 million after a spectacular 2022-23 campaign in which he was comfortably the best defender in Serie A and anchored Napoli’s backline as they ran away with the Scudetto.

He hasn’t always been one of the first-choice central defenders for Tuchel; prior to Tuesday, he had only played a full 90 minutes twice in the last two months. Were it not for an injury to Matthijs de Ligt this past weekend, the Dutchman almost certainly would have started alongside Eric Dier against Madrid, relegating Kim to the bench. Who knows how things would have played out in that case.

Kim’s evening actually got off to a decent start. He was proactive, pushing forward to intercept an early breakout pass and keep Madrid pinned in their own half while Bayern dominated the opening minutes. He showed off his athleticism at various points, too, outrunning Vinicius and effortlessly brushing him aside when the Brazilian looked to spring free down the right wing.

But his mistakes overshadowed his good work.

He was duped by the simplest of runs from Vinicius for the Madrid star’s opening goal, getting sucked in as the rapid forward checked deep to show himself for a pass from Kroos. Sticking too tightly to his man, Kim had absolutely no chance to recover when Vinicius, in a heartbeat, changed direction and darted behind him to race clean through on goal. Kroos put it on a plate, and Madrid took the lead.

He got caught by the same move in the second half, but Manuel Neuer bailed him out with a big save. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. The foul Kim committed on Rodrygo for Real Madrid’s penalty was in the same vein, as he was overly aggressive and got rolled by the forward before panicking and hauling him down with a rugby tackle.

Even the most astute tactical plan can be undone by individual errors. Bayern were the better team Tuesday but couldn’t turn their performance into an aggregate lead going into the second leg in Spain. That’s not all Kim’s fault, of course, and trying to handle Vinicius, especially in space, is one of the hardest tasks in the game today.

The defender may get a chance to redeem himself next week. Football loves a good redemption story. Or, he could get replaced in the starting lineup. Whomever Tuchel calls on at the Bernabeu, they can’t gift Vinicius and Co. golden opportunities. Real Madrid are more than capable of winning this tie, and this tournament, without any extra help. – Gianluca Nesci

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DORTMUND, Germany (AP) — Borussia Dortmund’s injury worries have eased and coach Edin Terzic is hopeful all but two players will be fit for the Champions League semifinal first leg against Paris Saint-Germain.

Terzic said on Tuesday that left back Ramy Bensebaini and young forward Julien Duranville are definitely out of Wednesday’s match, but that others can return after missing the team’s 4-1 loss at Leipzig in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Emre Can and Ian Maatsen are back and well-rested after serving suspensions at the weekend.

“Marcel Sabitzer and Donyell Malen took part in training again yesterday,” Terzic said. “Donny couldn’t take part in everything. Marcel felt much better and was very happy. Sebastien Haller could take part in some of the training and we’ll see today how the final training session develops. For now, we’re assuming that the guys will be available tomorrow.”

Ivory Coast forward Haller has been laboring with a persistent left ankle injury.

Dortmund, which knocked out Atletico Madrid to reach the final four, already faced PSG in the group stage, losing 2-0 in Paris before drawing 1-1 at home and topping the group.

The German team is unbeaten in its last 10 games at home in the competition and will again look to the support from its “yellow wall.”

But Terzic is aware that PSG, which already has the French league title wrapped up, needs to finally win Europe’s premier competition to justify more than a decade of huge investment from its Qatari owners.

“They have added a very, very high level of quality to this team, a team that has been built up in recent years to win the Champions League,” Terzic said. “At the start of the season they may not have performed so well, but they always got their results, perhaps not yet with the performances they had imagined. But they improved a lot during the first half of the season.”

Terzic suggested Luis Enrique’s team was peaking at the right time.

“It’s not easy to stop them, though every team tries,” Terzic said. “If you take Kylian Mbappe, for example, with his exceptional individual quality, he has now scored 43 goals in 44 games. Opponents set themselves the goal of not letting him score in 44 games. It doesn’t always work.”

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer