Borussia Dortmund go into Wednesday night’s Champions League last 16 second leg against Paris Saint-Germain with a goal advantage. Lucien Favre’s team are in the driver’s seat but have a tough task ahead of them at the Parc des Prince.
The biggest news surrounding the second leg tie is it will be played behind closed doors. The threat of the coronavirus spreading has led Paris authorities to ban fans from the Parc des Prince for the game. Paris Saint-Germain had the stadium undergo a thorough cleansing on Monday.
Without fans in the stands it could be difficult for Paris Saint-Germain to make a comeback as there will be no supporters to feed off of. Meanwhile, the lack of supporters could play into the hands of Borussia Dortmund.
Paris Saint-Germain have underachieved in the Champions League since becoming a regular in the competition around a decade ago. The Qatari oil money fuelled club have failed at the last 16 in each of the last three seasons.
👋 Destination: Paris 🇫🇷 #PSGBVB pic.twitter.com/Mi95r2NMoo— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) March 10, 2020
👋 Destination: Paris 🇫🇷 #PSGBVB pic.twitter.com/Mi95r2NMoo
They have one foot out of the competition once more and could be eliminated on Wednesday night. Paris Saint-Germain simply need one goal on Wednesday night to change the complexion of the tie.
The Parisians scored a valuable away goal in Germany but neither Neymar nor Kylian Mbappe stepped up when needed. Neymar did tally Paris Saint-Germain's goal although he never stepped up at any other time in the match.
Favre has a full squad to choose from for the second leg fixture sans one player. Captain Marco Reus will miss out once more with an injury. Favre has Erling Haaland an Jadon Sancho ready to play.
Paris Saint-Germain failed to shut down both Haaland and Sancho in the first leg. The former scored both goals for Borussia Dortmund.
Former Borussia Dortmund manager Thomas Tuchel will be without two key players for Borussia Dortmund’s arrival. Defensive midfielder Marco Verratti will miss out due to suspension. His absence will leave a gaping hole in the team’s spine. Thomas Meunier will also miss out due to suspension.
Borussia Dortmund are in the driver’s seat going into the game. Their narrow margin could be overturned with a Paris Saint-Germain goal. However, any further goals from Borussia Dortmund will damage Paris Saint-Germain's hopes of progression due to the away goals rule.
Paris Saint-Germain will fail once more to progress to the quarterfinals of the Champions League. Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain will play a thriller with the away goals rule sending the Germans through with over 2.5 goals scored.