Blown away by the Signal Iduna Park: Borussia Dortmund bluffs PSG in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final

Dortmund-PSG was not exactly the most renowned Champions League semi-final. Fortunately, Signal Iduna Park was more than expected. Hundreds of identical yellow-black flags The Gelbe Wall. A UEFA reporter who has been coming to Dortmund for years said beforehand that he had never experienced this atmosphere. It’s saying something – in a stadium already known for its loud fans.

With tens of thousands of jumping Germans at their back, it was exactly the type of match Dortmund was looking for. Packed with intensity, with loss of ball after loss of ball. Pumping. Karim Adeyemi was once a agile centre-forward, but now sprints as a left winger to unceremoniously sweep PSG midfielders off their feet.

Füllkrug 1, Mbappe 0

The kind of circumstances where a striker like Niclas Füllkrug is at his best. The attacker is not the fastest, certainly not the best technically, and looks a bit clumsy. Two years ago he played with Werder Bremen in the German second division. His nickname is ‘Lücke’, after the gap between his teeth. But when he saw an opportunity to avoid the offside trap on the stroke of half-time, he stepped in just in time. Take right, shoot left. Just loud. Bang, 1-0. Lucas Hernandez, who had dared to try to put a leg in the way, was simply knocked over and had to be replaced injured. The Parisian prima donnas didn’t know where they got it.

For a moment, Füllkrug’s better-known position mate showed himself. Kylian Mbappé decided on the post, in the same action Achraf Hakimi hit the post again. Then it was back to the buffalo from Hannover. Füllkrug tipped a cross just over and could/should have been awarded a penalty when Nuno Mendes knocked him off balance. Unfortunately – in the battle between Beauty and the Beast, ref Taylor chose the former.

It will be happening in Paris next week. Too bad the Signal Iduna Park is not allowed.