Borussia Dortmund vs PSG predictions, team news & confirmed XIs
This Champions League last-16 clash will be the first meeting between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain since a goalless Europa League draw in November 2010.
Łukasz Piszczek, Mats Hummels and Mario Götze are the only survivors from that stalemate in Paris, which current Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp oversaw as manager of the Bundesliga outfit.
Both sides are eyeing a deep run into the latter stages of this season’s Champions League, and will be determined to go all the way, but only one can make the quarter-finals.
Read on for our preview of the last-16 first leg between Dortmund v PSG, including predictions, team news and TV coverage information.
When is Dortmund v PSG and where can I watch live?
Competition: Champions League
Venue: Westfalenstadion
Date: Tuesday, 18 February 2020
Kick-off: 8:00 PM (UK time)
TV coverage (UK): BT Sport 3
Form guide
Dormund
14 February 2020: Dortmund 4-0 Frankfurt (Bundesliga)
08 February 2020: Leverkusen 4-3 Dortmund (Bundesliga)
04 February 2020: Bremen 3-2 Dortmund (DFB Pokal)
01 February 2020: Dortmund 5-0 Union Berlin (Bundesliga)
24 January 2020: Dortmund 5-1 Koln (Bundesliga)
PSG
15 February 2020: Amiens 4-4 PSG (Ligue 1)
12 February 2020: Dijon 1-6 PSG (Coupe de France)
09 February 2020: PSG 4-2 Lyon (Ligue 1)
04 February 2020: Nantes 1-2 PSG (Ligue 1)
01 February 2020: PSG 5-0 Montpellier (Ligue 1)
Ones to watch
Dortmund: Mats Hummels
Hummels was present the last time Borussia Dortmund reached European club’s footballs grandest showpiece event. He couldn’t prevent Bayern Munich winning their fifth title at Wembley, but the wealth of experience he brings to this young Dortmund side is invaluable. The 70-time capped German international centre-back will need to be at his imperious best against one of Europe’s most devastating attacks and to say he’s up for the challenge would be an understatement.
“It is very important that we managed to keep a clean sheet. Except for two chances, we hardly allowed them anything at all at the back because we were focused in every position. It wasn’t a clean sheet for the defence, but for the entire team,” he said after Dortmund’s 4-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt.
“With our offensive quality, we don’t have to take a lot of risks to create chances. The guys up front are so dangerous that we get chances to score in every game except in Munich. There were a lot of good things today. If we take that with us, we will have a very good chance against Paris.”
Key stat: Mats Hummels has made the most interceptions (28) by any player in this season’s Champions League.
PSG: Neymar
There are very few better than Neymar when he’s on song but his spell at PSG – who made him the world’s most expensive footballer back in 2017 – has been mixed at best. His numbers are impressive, 66 goals across 76 matches in all competitions, but the fact he’s never played a Champions League quarter-final or beyond since joining must weigh heavily on his mind.
A recent knock against Montpellier, which saw him sustain bruised ribs, initially put his involvement for this encounter in some doubt. However, PSG boss Thomas Tuchel is confident the mercurial Brazilian forward will play some role at the Westfalenstadion.
“For Neymar, we have to decide with the doctor after the test,” he told reporters.
“But I am convinced he will help us and with this game we will keep going, and we hope he will be uninjured and be able to play a few games in a row until the end of the season.”
Key stat: Neymar’s last Champions League knockout appearance came more than two years ago on February 14, 2018.
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Team news
Dortmund
Marco Reus (thigh) and Thomas Delaney (knee) are both ruled out for the hosts alongside Julian Brandt (ankle).
A front three of Jadon Sancho, Thorgan Hazard and Erling Haaland has the ability, pace and finishing skills to frighten any defence in world football.
They are backed up by a midfield duo of Axel Witsel and new signing Emre Can, while Dan-Axel Zagadou is preferred to Manuel Akanji at centre-back.
Confirmed XI: Bürki; Piszczek, Zagadou, Hummels; Hakimi, Can, Witsel, Guerreiro; Sancho, Haaland, Hazard.
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PSG
Tuchel cannot count on the services of Colin Dagba (knee) and Abdou Diallo (thigh), formerly of BVB, when he visits his old stomping ground. Juan Bernat is out but Neymar starts despite fitness concerns.
Kylian Mbappe lines up alongside the Brazilian and Angel di Maria, while Marquinhos plays in midfield alongside Idrissa Gana Gueye and Marco Verratti.
Confirmed XI: Navas; Meunier, Thiago Silva, Kimpembe, Kurzawa; Gueye, Marquinhos, Verratti; Di Maria, Mbappe, Neymar
Squawka prediction
This should be an entertaining game as both teams possess strong attacks and relatively vulnerable backlines. They are equally prone to scoring a bucket load but then still giving the opposition a sniff. We can see Dortmund and PSG cancelling each other out in a high-scoring entertaining draw, setting up the return leg perfectly.
