PSG Misses Champions League Final: PSG vs Borussia Dortmund – Tactical Analysis

Borussia Dortmund has secured a spot in this season’s Champions League final by defeating Paris Saint-Germain with an aggregate score of 2-0. In the return leg at Parc des Princes, the team coached by Edin Terzic won 1-0, thanks to a goal scored by Mats Hummels. The defender scored with a header in the second half, capitalizing on the hosts’ weak defense, which left him nearly unmarked in the 16-yard box. Thus, Borussia Dortmund reaches its third Champions League final in the club’s history, while PSG will continue its quest for its first trophy next year.

Starting Lineups

Edin Terzic made no changes to his team from the first leg, keeping the same lineup.

One of the changes made by Luis Enrique was necessitated by the absence of Lucas Hernandez, who was injured in the first leg and thus unable to participate in this match or the entire EURO 2024 tournament. In his place, Lucas Beraldo took up the central defender position alongside Marquinhos.

The second change for PSG was the introduction of Goncalo Ramos as the central forward, a move that shifted Kylian Mbappe back to the left wing, while Bradley Barcola remained on the bench.

Match Report

Edin Terzic’s team, which recorded an xG of 0.77 compared to their opponents’ 3.22, demonstrated tenacious defense, withstanding constant pressure from the hosts who failed to capitalize on their created chances.

The game started relatively balanced, with both teams actively participating. The first notable chance came in the 19th minute when Ryerson’s shot from a tight angle at the near post hit the side net. Throughout the match, PSG was vulnerable in transition, and in the 35th minute, a quick counterattack by the visitors gave Adeyemi a chance to open the scoring, but PSG was saved by Donnarumma.

Despite dominating in terms of possession, PSG failed to score in the first half, marking the eighth time this Champions League season they haven’t scored in the first half of a game. Dortmund, on the other hand, kept a clean sheet in the first half for the tenth time in their last 12 matches.

The decisive moment came in the 50th minute when Julian Brandt executed a corner kick to the far post, and Mats Hummels managed to get the ball past Donnarumma. This goal was easily conceded by PSG, who left Hummels remarkably free in the box, a significant oversight given his aerial duel capabilities.

PSG continued to attack, switching to an ultra-offensive formation, while Borussia Dortmund completely abandoned their offensive ambitions, preferring to park the bus as early as the 70th minute. This retreat could have cost the visitors dearly, but they also had fantastic luck, with the post saving them four times in this match, adding to the two from the first leg.

Whether it was the powerful long-range shots by Nuno Mendes or Vitinha, or Mbappe’s shot from the edge of the six-yard box deflected onto the crossbar, the post was a crucial factor that saved Borussia and brought them to the Champions League finals.

PSG’s Shape and Build-up

PSG organized their build-up with a three-man back line consisting of Marquinhos, Beraldo, and Nuno Mendes, with Beraldo acting as the sweeper. Fabian Ruiz frequently dropped back to the left wing alongside Nuno Mendes, swapping positions with him when advancing to counter Jadon Sancho’s incursions.

This movement caused PSG difficulties in midfield, as Ruiz’s repositioning left the team somewhat outnumbered. This forced Goncalo Ramos to drop back towards the center of the pitch to restore balance.

On the right wing, however, Hakimi often pushed forward in the build-up, and most of PSG’s dangerous actions stemmed from his runs and his combinations with Ousmane Dembele to exploit that area.

Tactical Mistakes and Shortcomings

Starting Goncalo Ramos

Throughout this year’s European campaign, Luis Enrique experimented with various offensive formations, but he struggled to find balance or consistency. He alternated between using Mbappe and Dembele as the central striker, with Bradley Barcola operating on one of the flanks. In this match, he decided to place Mbappe on the left flank and start Goncalo Ramos as the central striker.

However, this was only Ramos’ second start in the Champions League, and he wasted many significant opportunities. He took four shots, with only one on target. Despite having an expected goals (xG) of 1.29, Ramos failed to convert any chances.

PSG Relied Heavily on Crosses

In this game, PSG made the most crosses of any match they played in the Champions League this season, with most coming from the right wing by the Hakimi-Dembele duo. However, a major issue was that neither the midfielders nor Mbappe advanced into the box to finish these crosses, resulting in a numerical disadvantage against the defensive line.

Towards the end of the match, Marquinhos was seen pushing up to the Borussia Dortmund penalty area to try to complete the crosses, but without success, as the visitors had fortified their defense with the entire team in their own half.

The need to cross was driven by Edin Terzic’s strategy to block the center of the field, setting up a five-player defensive line towards the end of the match. In the 68th minute, Terzic brought on Niklas Sule in place of Jadon Sancho, completely abandoning offensive ambitions and making it nearly impossible to penetrate through the center of the field.

This tactic is clearly reflected on PSG’s pass map, showing that the hosts were unable to penetrate the center of the field at all. The huge gap in the center of the pass map is obvious, with the only advanced passes being made between the two wingers, Dembele and Mbappe.

PSG’s Substitutions

In the 63rd minute, Luis Enrique made two significant substitutions: Marco Asensio came on for Fabian Ruiz, and Bradley Barcola replaced Goncalo Ramos. Asensio took a more advanced position than Ruiz, abandoning the strategy of dropping back to the left flank to neutralize Sancho.

Barcola resumed his position on the left wing, and Mbappe moved into the central forward role. Thus, Luis Enrique opted for an extremely offensive formation, with Asensio, Mbappe, Barcola, and Dembele trying to break down Borussia’s defense.

Shortly after this change, Terzic brought on Niklas Sule in place of Sancho to strengthen the defensive line with five defenders, sacrificing the team’s offensive capabilities to withstand the Parisian assault.

The rest of the match continued with a very aggressive PSG, who pressed intensely looking desperate for a goal, while Borussia adopted a 5-4-1 defensive formation, tightly closing lines and wings to limit spaces for PSG. Although they maintained a disciplined defense, Borussia was also fortunate, saved by the crossbar in several critical phases.

Conclusions

In a decisive match for a spot in the Champions League final, Borussia Dortmund displayed tactical superiority and an exemplary execution of the game plan set by Edin Terzic, successfully blocking Paris Saint-Germain’s offensive attempts and capitalizing on their mistakes. With a solid defense and remarkable efficiency in key moments, Borussia Dortmund not only kept a clean sheet but also scored through Mats Hummels, a goal that sealed the fate of the match.

Although PSG tried to get back into the game, the French team was unable to overcome Borussia’s well-organized defensive barrier and missed numerous opportunities, on an evening where the post also played a crucial role in favor of the visitors. This victory not only sends Borussia Dortmund to the final of the prestigious competition but also highlights PSG’s need to rethink their approach in high-stakes matches to achieve their dream of winning the Champions League trophy.