Dortmund vs PSG prediction: How will Champions League fixture play out tonight?
Borussia Dortmund teenager Erling Haaland scored twice in eight minutes to lead his team to a 2-1 victory over Paris St Germain in their Champions League Round of 16 first leg on Tuesday.
The Norwegian 19-year-old, who has already netted eight times in five Bundesliga matches, stabbed in from close range after a quickfire passing move in the 69th minute and then thundered in an unstoppable shot for his second in the 77th, two minutes after Neymar had levelled for the French champions.
Haaland has now scored 10 Champions League goals in seven games this season -- eight for Salzburg in the group stage.
PSG, who were eliminated at this stage of the competition in the previous three seasons, had fit-again Neymar and Kylian Mbappe back in the starting lineup but were almost completely shut out by an extremely efficient Dortmund backline.
Neymar, who had been out for weeks with a rib injury, hit the post late on. The return leg is in Paris on March 11.
PSG's long-running series of trying to progress past the round of 16 of the Champions League is set for its latest dramatic episode this evening as they travel to Borussia Dortmund. Plenty of goals should be on offer at the Westfalenstadion, with both sides capable of calamity and creativity.
Erling Haaland should make his Champions League debut for the hosts. The teenage sensation has scored five times in less than an hour of Bundesliga action for BVB.
With kick-off over an hour away, why not fill the time by reading our verdict on the remaining sides' chances of lifting the Champions League come May?
Neymar returns from injury for the visitors. PSG line-up like this: Navas, Kurzawa, Silva, Kimpembe, Marquinhos, Meunier, Gueye, Verratti, Di Maria, Neymar, Mbappe.
In fairness to PSG, they've done pretty well in the first leg of knockout stages over the years. They won 2-0 at Old Trafford this time last year, and thrashed Barcelona 4-0 in 2017. No one's coming back from those deficits...
Dortmund were knocked out at this stage of the competition last year. Mauricio Pochettino's Spurs won 4-0 over two legs on their way to the Champions League final.
As if the magnitude of the game wasn't big enough in and of itself, get ready for arguably the three most exciting young talents in world football to take to the field together. Jadon Sancho, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe have scored an astonishing 67 goals between them in top-flight leagues and the Champions League this season. We are in February.
PSG's players are out on the Westfalenstadion pitch warming-up. Neymar, Kimpembe, Marquinhos, Gueye, Verratti and Silva have all recently returned from injury, which might prove a concern for Thomas Tuchel.
Tuchel returns to the ground where he led Dortmund for two years. In the build-up to this one he said: "We're capable of scoring at any time - scoring several goals. As are BVB."
Idrissa Gueye will have a job on his hands tonight cutting out counter attacks feeding Dortmund's dynamic attackers. PSG have invariably had talent in their team over the years, but not always balance. Emre Can and Axel Witsel will have to effectively shield the Dortmund defence too.
Neymar has only played in one Champions League knockout game since his £198 million arrival in Paris but will add to that tally tonight. He's been out with a rib injury, but these are the nights he was purchased for. Can he deliver?
Neymar isn't the only Brazilian with a key role to play for PSG tonight. Marquinhos and Thiago Silva will have to shackle Sancho, Hazard and Haaland at the back. They look focused on the task ahead.
The match kicks off at 8pm UK time at Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion.
What TV channel is it on?
The match will be broadcast live on BT Sport 3, with coverage starting at 7.15pm.
Subscribers can also stream the game via the BT Sport app.
Prediction
Both sides are capable of creativity and calamity and any outcome is possible. PSG go into the Champions League knockout stages with a more balanced midfield than before, and a lot will rest on Idrissa Gueye’s defensive work. Dortmund have looked very vulnerable in defence in recent games and PSG are likely to exploit any weakness.
Borussia Dortmund 2-2 PSG
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