At halftime, PSG was virtually out of the Champions League. Milan's turnaround against Newcastle meant that the Parisians' draw (1-1) against Dortmund was enough to reach the round of 16.
Paris Saint-Germain has been living on the edge of risk. There are few failures or disappointments that can still surprise the French team.
Leaving the qualification for the Champions League round of 16, Paris Saint-Germain's main objective, to the last matchday was like entering the field with their hearts in their hands, but it was crucial that these hands weren’t too busy, for in them lay the ticket to the knockout phase.
The team of Luis Enrique, the coach leading the attempt to change paradigms in the French capital, depended only on themselves. Facing Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, by winning, would secure their place in the round of 16; by drawing or losing, they would be dependent on the result of Newcastle-Milan. 'I am focused on the positive aspects, and the positive is that, in a very difficult group, we have our destiny in our hands and can finish in first place,' Luis Enrique stated. 'Therefore, we want to win this game and we will do it. The differences between teams are small in this group. It’s evident. We are in the last matchday and only Borussia Dortmund has already qualified.'
For the trip to Germany, Paris Saint-Germain was without Gonçalo Ramos, sidelined with the flu, and Ousmane Dembélé, who was suspended. 'Football is a team sport. It’s a responsibility we have to share. With the team I have, it’s always easier to replace players who are not available. The absence of one player will never be an excuse, and you won’t hear me complain about it,' Luis Enrique observed.
In the group of death, the only defeat of the already qualified Borussia Dortmund was precisely against the Parisians. In the first match, Mbappé and Hakimi scored the goals that shattered the Germans. Since then, the Bundesliga's fifth-place team, coming off two defeats in domestic competitions, drew with Milan and set off for three consecutive victories, two against Newcastle and one against Milan.
It was through long-range shots that the two teams began to hurt each other. For Dortmund, Marco Reus tried his luck. Portuguese international Vitinha responded for Paris Saint-Germain. The teams seemed a mirror, not in tactical terms, but in the outcome of offensive moves. Then, wastefulness took the forefront. Marius Wolf shot narrowly past Donnarumma's post, and Lee Kang-in caused a similar alarm for Kobel.
After a phase of balance, Paris Saint-Germain gained the upper hand. Mbappé outpaced everyone, including the goalkeeper, but was not precise in his finish. Result: Niklas Sule made up for lost time and cleared what seemed a certain goal off the line. Bradley Barcola continued the attack flow by hitting the post. Even the third attempt didn't succeed. Kolo Muani added a new item to the collection of ineffective moves by shooting wide in a one-on-one with Kobel.
When Reus once again engaged in a duel with Donnarumma, Dortmund relieved the pressure and even managed a double chance to take the lead. Ozcan shot for a save by the Italian goalkeeper, and on the rebound, Adeyemi missed a great opportunity. Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain was in a difficult position, as in the other group game, Newcastle scored, leaving the French team virtually eliminated at halftime.
Luis Enrique's team began to speed up processes and restarts. The trend of the game didn’t change, as the ball continued to hover around both goals. What did change was that finally, someone managed to put it into the net. Thanks to the pressure from Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, the persistence of Bensebaini, the patience of Fullkrug, and the finish by Adeyemi (51'), Dortmund took the lead in a significant collective effort.
Zaire-Emery (56') quickly equalized with a powerful shot inside the box. Nevertheless, Paris Saint-Germain was still out of the Champions League until news came from St. James’ Park that Milan had drawn the match, elevating the French team back into the qualification zone for the round of 16.
The situation remained complex, requiring Paris Saint-Germain to seek an advantage to prevent an English goal from causing a tragedy. Mbappé scored, but the goal was disallowed for offside, at a time when the French international was the most dangerous player on the field. Meanwhile, Milan completed a comeback in the score, which, due to the head-to-head record, meant that the Parisian club would only be eliminated if Dortmund managed to take the lead. When the final whistle blew (1-1), the French players did not celebrate, waiting for the other game to end. Once Milan's victory was confirmed, Paris Saint-Germain secured second place (eight points) and remained in the competition. Borussia Dortmund was also satisfied, maintaining the top spot (eleven points). Newcastle (five points) was eliminated from UEFA competitions, while Milan (eight points) moved on to the Europa League.
