A berth in the quarter-finals of the Champions League awaits as Borussia Dortmund hosts PSV Eindhoven at Westfalenstadion for the second leg of their last-16 encounter on Wednesday evening.
The contest hangs delicately in the balance following a 1-1 draw in the initial leg held in the Netherlands three weeks prior, where Luuk de Jong’s penalty in the second half nullified an early goal from former PSV player Donyell Malen.
Match preview
Five days subsequent to sharing points with PSV, Borussia Dortmund suffered a 3-2 defeat at their home ground against Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga. However, they have since demonstrated resilience by clinching consecutive victories away from home against Union Berlin and Werder Bremen.
Following a routine 2-0 triumph in Berlin, BVB managed to secure a hard-fought 2-1 win against Bremen last weekend, despite being reduced to 10 men. The first-half goals from Malen and Jadon Sancho, the latter scoring his first goal since his loan return from Manchester United, paved the way for Dortmund’s victory. The dismissal of Marcel Sabitzer just before halftime provided an opening for Bremen, with Justin Njinmah narrowing the deficit 20 minutes from the final whistle. Nevertheless, Dortmund managed to retain their advantage, claiming all three points and maintaining their position in fourth place in the Bundesliga standings, a mere point above RB Leipzig, with nine matches remaining.
Edin Terzic’s team now shifts their focus to their sixth Champions League knockout phase in eight seasons. Notably, in the past six years, they have only progressed to the quarter-finals once. However, BVB’s recent track record in knockout ties indicates a positive trend, having advanced in their last five encounters in the competition whenever they avoided defeat in the away first leg.
Despite experiencing inconsistent form in their home fixtures lately, Dortmund have remained undefeated in their last eight Champions League matches at Westfalenstadion, which augurs well ahead of PSV’s visit.
On the other hand, since their draw with Dortmund in the first leg, PSV has garnered seven points from three Eredivisie matches, including a convincing 7-1 victory over PEC Zwolle and a hard-fought 1-0 win against Go Ahead Eagles last weekend. Sergino Dest’s solitary goal in the latter match helped PSV maintain their unbeaten league streak and their 10-point lead at the top of the Eredivisie table.
Despite their impressive domestic form, PSV faces a formidable challenge against Dortmund, particularly considering their historical struggles in Germany. Having failed to secure a victory in their previous 16 visits to Germany across all competitions, with 13 losses, PSV’s Champions League away record is particularly concerning, having lost five of their last six matches. Nevertheless, they did manage a 1-1 draw in their sole prior visit to Dortmund in October 2002. Furthermore, their recent strong performances away from home domestically provide a glimmer of hope for Peter Bosz’s side in their quest to reach the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2006-07.
Team News
Borussia Dortmund’s injury concerns are limited to attackers Sebastien Haller and Samuel Bamba, both of whom are sidelined due to respective ankle and muscle issues.
Felix Nmecha, having recuperated from a hip injury, made a substitute appearance in the previous fixture and is vying for a starting position on Wednesday, potentially displacing either Sabitzer or Emre Can in midfield.
The defensive setup might see Mats Hummels replacing Niklas Sule to partner Nico Schlotterbeck in the center, while the competition for starting berths in the forward line is anticipated between Karim Adeyemi and Marco Reus against Sancho and Julian Brandt, alongside Malen, who etched his name in history by becoming the first Dutch player to score against a Dutch team in the Champions League knockout stages.
PSV faces their own injury woes, with Noa Lang sidelined for an extended period due to a hamstring injury, and doubts loom over Joey Veerman and Ismael Saibari, both absent from the last weekend’s victory against Go Ahead Eagles due to muscle issues, pending assessment before kickoff.
In midfield, Guus Til, Mauro Junior, and Malik Tillman emerge as potential starters alongside Jerdy Schouten if Veerman and Saibari are unfit.
Johan Bakayoko, a standout winger, might replace Tillman after being rested over the weekend, as he joins forces with Hirving Lozano and top scorer De Jong, who has registered seven goals and four assists in his last eight appearances, to form a formidable three-man attacking unit.
Borussia Dortmund possible starting lineup:
Kobel; Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Maatsen; Sabitzer, Can; Malen, Brandt, Adeyemi; Fullkrug
PSV Eindhoven possible starting lineup:
Benitez; Teze, Obispo, Boscagli, Dest; Schouten, Til, Junior; Bakayoko, De Jong, Lozano