PSG finds Europe. Eliminated at the stage of the knockout stages of the Champions League for the past three years, the champions of France will try to defeat the Indian sign against Dortmund. A quest that passes, this Tuesday (9 p.m., commented live), by the Signal Iduna Park for the first round. The two teams will meet on March 11 at the Parc des Princes. A double confrontation at the end of which Paris Saint-Germain will hope to have evacuated the ghosts of the past, the cruel memories of the humiliations against Barcelona (2017) and Manchester United (2019), without forgetting the glorious departure from the track against Real Madrid (2018). Memories too present ... in the media to the taste of Leonardo, who castigated the "negativity" that surrounds the club when approaching the C1. "It's a bit of our fault," corrects Thomas Tuchel, acknowledging that the European results of the past few years do not encourage the creation of a climate of confidence. "How do we resolve this?" We have to qualify, he professes. Then maybe we can breathe, it'll be easier. ”
» READ ALSO - The" yellow wall ", the soul of Borussia Dortmund
» READ ALSO - Dortmund will not recognize" his "Thomas Tuchel
To do this, the Parisians will have to dismiss a team that the Bavarian knows well for having coached between 2015 and 2017. With a German Cup in hand, in 2017, the last title to date of the German club (if we do fi of the German Supercup). A team still undefeated in its lair of the Westfalenstadion in 2019-20, driven by its famous "Yellow Wall". "You really have to feel it yourself to understand," says Tuchel of this mythical platform and the atmosphere that reigns in this enclosure. I remember the first home game, when I coached Borussia, I was amazed for 10 minutes. It was growing on all sides! So I'm not going to talk too much about it to the players. They have to live it themselves. ”
And to slip in passing that this kind of atmosphere could only bring out "the best" of its players. Which players, first of their pool in C1, largely at the top of the Ligue 1 classification and still in the running in the two national cups, have been unbeaten since 23 matches in all competitions (18 wins, 3 draws), before this first European round . And therefore arrive in Germany with "very high confidence", as Ander Herrera noted on Saturday, after the draw in Amiens (4-4).
Neymar and Mbappé to cool the boiling Yellow Wall
And it's not this last failed rehearsal that changes the game… "Do you think it will be the same match in Dortmund?" Said Tuchel, in Picardy. Above all, this meeting will have given playing time to those who needed it, like Marquinhos or Thiago Silva. Others, like Kylian Mbappé and Neymar, stayed at home. And with them, needless to say, Paris changes dimension. Resting since February 1, the latter will also play in Dortmund. Tuchel confirmed it. The German coach also stressed that the presence of the Brazilian "changes everything" for Paris. Presnel Kimpembe is also able, "120% ready to help the team", as the French international affirms. There are still some questions about the eleven in Paris. On the left, where Juan Bernat, long absent, may lack legs, and in front, where he says that the temptation Pablo Sarabia is great.
» READ ALSO - Luis Fernandez at Figaro:" PSG has the best workforce in Europe "
» READ ALSO - How Borussia lives through youth culture
One thing is certain: more than ever, Paris only has eyes for this Champions League. Only she really matters. And time is running out, after three failures in the round of 16, and while the future of Neymar and Mbappé is still unclear. A PSG armed to go far and who leaves in the skin of the favorite facing this BVB 09 which blows the very hot and ... the very cold, and must compose without Marco Reus and Julian Brandt. Dortmund, third in the Bundesliga with two lengths behind the Munich leader, was also left on two losses (3-2 in cup in Bremen and 4-3 in Leverkusen in the league) before shoveling Frankfurt (4-0) last Friday . “It's a super strong team. It will be a super complicated, super difficult match, ”warns Tuchel. And super open. "Of course, two offensive teams meet, but I have nothing against a score of 1-0 for us," smiles Lucien Favre, the Dortmund coach. There is no doubt that the approximately 3,300 Parisian supporters who travel to Germany, including 1,000 Ultras, have a completely different idea on the question.
Read also
- Champions League: program for the round of 16