Paris Saint-Germain ‘didn’t turn up’ in Champions League semi-final loss to Borussia Dortmund

Paris Saint-Germain will trail Borussia Dortmund into the second leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final after conceding a goal at the temple, Westfalenstadion.

Niclas Fullkrug scored the solitary goal for the home side in the 36th minute after Nico Schlotterbeck sent a long pass over the top for the striker to get by PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

There were chances aplenty for both sides. PSG threatened to level the ledger in the second half with two strikes in a matter of seconds of each other that hit the goalposts.

First, Kylian Mbappe hit the right post before Achraf Hakimi smashed the left.

After his opening effort, Fullkrug looked like he might bag a second goal but couldn’t break through.

“That was actually a great game. Dortmund were brilliant, their players, individual performances all over the pitch… you could pretty much name the whole team,” said Stan Sport host Max Rushden.

“PSG really didn’t turn up and yet had some great chances. I wonder, who’s happier right now.”

Socceroo of 29 appearances Craig Foster said Paris Saint-Germain can’t be unhappy to only be trailing by one goal with their home fixture at Parc des Princes to come on May 8.

“Luis Enrique (PSG head coach) is happy to get out of this with only one (goal conceded). He knows it could have been more,” said Foster on Stan Sport’s coverage.

“He also knows that in the second half they were better, much better than the first but still not at their peak. So they’ve been 60, maybe 70 per cent of what they would be expected to do and they’ve got away from here with just a solitary goal and they’re going back home next week where they’re extremely strong. 

“We saw him afterwards, he went over and saw Edin Terzic and he had a big smile on his face. Whatever he said, is likely to be ‘Well done’. He knows that he got away with one today because his team is very, very below par. Dortmund, to a player, were brilliant. They were at their absolute maximum. The question is always, can you replicate that?”

The winners of the two-leg tie will play either Real Madrid of Bayern Munich in the final. They drew 2-2 in their semi-final in Munich and will face each other in Madrid on May 7.

The UEFA Champions League final is scheduled for June 2 in London.