Dortmund arrive at Parc des Princes
Now is the time to really get excited.
Borussia Dortmund have arrived at the home of PSG, ready for tonight's monster clash.
The players are checking out their surroundings, they must be feeling the pressure now...
PSG fans having a party
You saw the photos, now here is the evidence.
Just listen to that noise, the PSG fans are up for it tonight, they know how big this occasion is.
As a player, seeing and hearing your fans like that must give you goosebumps. The support surely fuels them.
Even I'm getting goosebumps from watching the video.
Mbappe’s last dance?
Kylian Mbappe’s fairytale ending at PSG is on the line tonight.
He has one numerous titles while playing in his home city, but the one that really matters, the Champions League, has evaded him.
The French superstar has one final chance to grab his hands on it in PSG colours, something that the club has dreamed of for well over a decade.
Mbappe was far from his best in Dortmund last week, he only managed a singular shot on target, however, he did smash a strong strike against the post.
He will need to be back to his magical self if his final swansong at PSG is to go as planned, and the statistics show he usually is when playing on the Parc des Princes pitch.
The French attacker 32 goal involvements in 31 home games when he has started in the Champions League, scoring 21 goals, and providing 11 assists.
Can he add to that tally tonight and send PSG to Wembley?
Atmosphere building in Paris
Tonight's atmosphere is going to be incredible, isn't it?
Last week, the noise inside Signal Iduna Park was deafening, and the yellow wall was a sight to behold. It was special.
I feel like it's going to be a similar story this evening, PSG fans are a loud bunch as they proved last week.
Not to be outdone by the Dortmund fans, the Parisians are lining the streets before tonight's math. The flares are popping off.
Prepare for a loud one.
Dortmund’s good omen
Not all omens are against Dortmund tonight.
They were brilliant last week and fully deserved their victory over PSG. If they play like they did that night, it could be a celebratory evening for them.
The Bundesliga side’s 1-0 over the Parisians meant that Dortmund won back-to-back games in the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time since the 2012-13 quarter-final/semi-final.
Guess what happened that season? They made the final at Wembley.
Is it going to be a case of de ja vu for Dortmund?
PSG seeking historic night
History beckons for PSG tonight, if they make the final that is.
The French champions were in a similar position to what they are in now, in the quarter-final. They lost the first leg.
However, after coming from behind in the second leg, they secured a 6-4 win on aggregate over Barcelona to make the last four.
Once again, they enter the second leg of a tie behind. If they manage to complete another comeback, they will be the first team to lose the first leg in both the last eight and the semi-finals of a Champions League season and still reach the final.
It’s going to take a monumental effort, but it’s more than possible.
The stage is set
The calm before the storm.
Tonight's venue is ready. In just over 90 minutes times, they will pull back the curtains and the stands will be full.
It will be eerily quiet in the Parc des Princes right now, but I can guarantee you that noise levels will be off the scale when the teams take to the pitch.
It's a stunning setting for a match of this magnitude. I can't wait.
Dortmund’s demons in French capital
To book their ticket to Wembley, Borussia Dortmund will have to do something they have never managed before - win away at PSG.
The German side have faced PSG away in Europe three times, but they have never come away with a win losing twice and drawing once. They failed to score in all of those games. Yikes.
Earlier this season, Dortmund travelled to PSG for the first matchday of the Champions League campaign and were beaten 2-0. Kylian Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi doing the damage.
The Bundesliga club will be thankful that they are heading to the French capital in the lead, it means a draw will be enough.
They won’t want to rely on that though…
Edin Terzic: ‘They have a mission, we have a huge dream’
Edin Terzic, Borussia Dortmund boss, speaking on Monday:
Luis Enrique: ‘The role of the fans will be vital’
Luis Enrique, PSG boss, speaking on Monday:
First leg: Borussia Dortmund 1-0 PSG
We were served up a treat last week in Dortmund.
Six days have passed since the first leg, and I am still unsure how the game ended 1-0. It was a match littered with big chances.
Both sides could have easily scored a bucketful, PSG in particular, but nearly all the chances were wasted.
Notice how I said nearly? That’s because there was a solitary occasion where one was taken, and it was one of the hardest of the lot.
Niclas Fullkrug produced one hell of a strike to score the only goal of the game. He produced a touch and finish reminiscent of his opposite number, Kylian Mbappe, to ensure Dortmund start tonight with a one-goal advantage.
As I write this post, I have my toes crossed that we are gifted with another night of incredible chaos.
The Champions League always delivers, so I’m sure we will be.
90 minutes from Wembley
Games don’t get much bigger than this.
The Champions League trophy is the holy grail for every side in Europe, especially PSG. They have made it their mission to get their hands on good old ‘big ears’.
They are potentially just 180 minutes from making it happen, but anything other than a win tonight and the tears will be flowing in the French capital.
They have a lot of work to do to keep their dream alive, they trail Borussia Dortmund by one goal after a toothless performance in Dortmund.
You can’t overlook the German side, they are seeking their third-ever Champions League final, and if they avoid defeat, they will have the chance to avenge their defeat to Bayern Munich at Wembley 11 years ago, on the very same turf.
One team’s night will end in devastation, the other’s elation.
It’s going to be a special night.
Crunch time in Paris!
Tonight, dreams will be fulfilled and they will be crushed.
In just over four hours we will know one half of the Champions League final at Wembley on June 1. Who though, will it be PSG or Borussia Dortmund?
It’s the German side who currently sit in the ascendency after a narrow 1-0 win in Dortmund, but they are by no means in a comfortable position. The tie is finely balanced.
If we witness anything like the 90 minutes we were provided with last week, we are in for a cracking night. With the stakes as high as they are, excitement for this one is through the roof.
Are you ready? Let’s get this show on the road.
Key Updates
First leg: Borussia Dortmund 1-0 PSG