After two unsuccessful attempts, BVB would like to be in the quarter-finals of the Champions League again. This can be prevented by a former coach of the district club.
Dortmund (dpa) - Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland against Neymar and Kylian Mbappé. The round of 16 in the Champions League between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain could be an offensive spectacle.
However, it is not the well-known attackers of both teams who have dominated the headlines before the first leg on Tuesday (9:00 p.m. / DAZN), but Thomas Tuchel. For the first time since the separation in 2017, the 46-year-old returns to his old place of work.
INITIAL SITUATION: Paris have been unbeaten for 23 competitive games and finished the group stage of the Champions League with 16 points as leaders - a remarkable five points ahead of Real Madrid. "That says it all," commented BVB coach Lucien Favre on the opponent's splendid record. In contrast, BVB (10 points) needed rifle support in the end to qualify for the round of 16 behind Barcelona (14) but before Inter Milan (7).
PERSONNEL: BVB's wish for a quick comeback by Julian Brandt was not fulfilled. The torn ligament in the ankle does not allow the international to be used. "He won't be there," said coach Lucien Favre. In addition, the long-term injuries Thomas Delaney and Marco Reus are missing. The last struck Emre Can and Axel Witsel took part in the final training on Monday. Concerns with the opponent's failure of Neymar (rib bruise) proved to be unfounded. "It changes everything for us when we have him on the field. We have no other player with the same qualities," said PSG coach Thomas Tuchel on the evening before the game.
RETURN: The separation from Tuchel in 2017 is still disliked in Dortmund today. The relationship between the club management and the coach was too broken. The first return to the old place of work is also explosive for Tuchel for another reason. If his new team fails in the fourth round in succession in the fourth round, his time in Paris could also have expired. Nevertheless, the coach looked surprisingly relaxed before the game: "If I didn't have the privilege of standing on the side, I would watch the game. It was a dream to be a coach here."
REACTIONS:
Lucien Favre (BVB coach): "Paris are a team that does a lot of things well. I could talk not only about Neymar, but also about many other players like di Maria or Mbappé. The key is how we defend. When there are a lot of goals, people are happy, but not necessarily the coaches. Sometimes I'm not against winning 1-0. "
Thomas Tuchel (PSG trainer): "We have every right to be confident. We have achieved very good results in various competitions. It is a very high level game in a very emotional stadium. Therefore we have to remain calm and very intelligent play."
UEFA press kit for the game
Reactions to the BVB homepage