Niclas Fullkrug delivered a stunning first-half goal to secure Borussia Dortmund a 1-0 victory over Paris St-Germain in a high-octane first leg of their Champions League semi-final.
The German international skillfully controlled a long pass with his right foot and then blasted the ball into the net with his left in the 36th minute, giving Dortmund the lead.
PSG, after a lackluster first half, squandered multiple opportunities to level the score in the second. Kylian Mbappe’s curled shot hit the inside of the post, followed closely by Achraf Hakimi’s strike that also found the woodwork.
Fullkrug nearly added a second goal following an impressive effort down the right by on-loan Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho, but he fired over the bar from close range.
In their third Champions League clash of the season, Dortmund outplayed the Ligue 1 champions with their direct approach, aggression, and tenacity.
Although PSG dominated possession in the first half, they couldn’t manage a shot on target, whereas Dortmund created several scoring opportunities.
Marcel Sabitzer almost doubled Dortmund’s lead just before halftime, but his volley from close range was excellently saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma.
PSG manager Luis Enrique motivated his team during halftime, and Mbappe nearly made an immediate impact, striking the post in the 51st minute after cutting in from the left.
Soon after, the ball came to former Dortmund right-back Hakimi, whose shot mirrored Mbappe’s by striking the inside of the opposite post and rolling away to safety.
Ousmane Dembele, another former Dortmund player, missed a golden opportunity by shooting over the bar with 10 minutes remaining, while Fullkrug felt he deserved a penalty after a nudge in the back just as he was about to head in Julian Brandt’s cross.
With a 1-0 lead, Dortmund heads into the second leg at Parc des Princes with the tie delicately poised.
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