PSG’s knockout hopes hinge on crunch Dortmund tie
The one that had all eyes on it when the draw was made, things could not be tighter as PSG, Newcastle and AC Milan all still have the chance to join already-qualified Dortmund in the knockout stages.
PSG players in training ahead of their clash against Dortmund
BERLIN: Paris Saint-Germain takes on Borussia Dortmund in Germany on Wednesday in its final group-stage game with more than just Champions League survival hanging in the balance.
In Group F, the one that had all eyes on it when the draw was made, things could not be tighter as PSG, Newcastle and AC Milan all still have the chance to join already-qualified Dortmund in the knockout stages.
A win for PSG would ensure it of not only qualifying but of topping the group as it currently sits second with seven points, three behind Dortmund and two ahead of Newcastle and Milan.
“The most important thing is to focus on ourselves,” said Paris coach Luis Enrique.
“If we win, we’re going to finish first, but even if we lose, we could go through to the next phase. It’s so complicated, but I hope we can make it easier by winning.”
In the return fixture on matchday one, PSG’s campaign got off to a flyer when Kylian Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi goals ensured a 2-0 win, giving the side a better head-to-head record with the Germans should both sides finish the group level on points.
Since then, it has been up-and-down and a humiliating 4-1 away defeat to Newcastle and a 2-1 loss at Milan were backed up by a 1-1 draw on matchday five against the English outfit. Although already assured of its place, the onus is still on Dortmund to avoid defeat if it wishes to ensure top spot and a better draw for the next round.
Knockouts or bust
Fail to win and PSG will seriously risk bowing out of Europe’s premier competition at the first hurdle, that is what is immediately at stake for coach Luis Enrique and his team.
Since Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) took over PSG in 2011, the club has never failed to qualify from the group stages of the Champions League, reaching the semifinals in 2021 and the final the year before.
Back-to-back exits in the round of 16 the last two campaigns, in part, cost coaches Mauricio Pochettino and Christophe Galtier their jobs.
The end of the Mbappe saga?
It is the worst kept secret in football that Real Madrid wants the France captain, though so far PSG has managed to hold onto its star asset. Another Champions League heartbreak could change this.
At the start of the season, Mbappe was initially frozen out of the first team as he refused to extend his contract, before an agreement was eventually found between the two parties.
