Borussia Dortmund vs Paris Saint-Germain. UEFA Champions League First Knockout Round.
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Report as Borussia Dortmund edge past PSG to take a slender lead to Paris for the second leg on March 11
Wednesday 19 February 2020 07:58, UK
Erling Haaland took his tally to 10 goals in seven Champions League games as his double helped Borussia Dortmund to a 2-1 victory against Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their last-16 tie.
The game burst into life in the 69th minute when Haaland gave Dortmund, who wasted numerous first-half chances, the lead from close range before Neymar brought the scores level six minutes later with what could prove to be a crucial away goal for PSG.
However, parity lasted only two minutes as Haaland unleashed a rocket of a strike into the top corner for his 11th goal since joining Dortmund in January to restore their advantage.
Neymar went close to another equaliser in the closing stages but his strike clipped the woodwork as Dortmund held on to take a slender advantage to Paris for the second leg at the Parc des Princes on March 11.
Dortmund started brightly with Jadon Sancho at the forefront of all his team's good early work, with the England winger slicing wide from the edge of the penalty area after a blistering counter-attack from the home side.
Sancho then saw his curling effort saved by Keylor Navas before Achraf Hakimi's rebound was brilliantly blocked by Layvin Kurzawa.
Neymar missed PSG's best chance of the first half when he sent a free-kick wide, while Haaland fired a shot into the side netting before failing to making a good connection with Sancho's cross at the far post as the sides went in goalless at the break.
In the second half, the visitors were beginning to take control of the game with Kylian Mbappe twice denied by Roman Burki.
But Haaland struck from close range in the 69th minute, cashing in on a rebound in the area after Raphael Guerreiro's shot was deflected into his path.
Neymar then hit back in the 75th minute when he converted a cross from Mbappe from close range.
However, just two minutes later Haaland fired Dortmund ahead again, lashing in a superb effort from the edge of the box into the top corner after being played in by substitute Giovanni Reyna.
Neymar came agonisingly close to levelling for a second time but his effort clipped the outside of the post as Dortmund held on for a narrow victory.
Haaland has scored 10 Champions League goals in just seven appearances, reaching the tally four games quicker than any other player in the competition's history.
He is only the second player to score 10 Champions League goals as a teenager, after Kylian Mbappe (13), and the first to do so in a single campaign in the competition.
The 19-year-old has scored 11 goals in seven appearances for Borussia Dortmund; the most of any player for a club within the top five European leagues (all competitions) since his debut in January. No other player of a Bundesliga side has ever achieved that.
He is also the first Dortmund player ever to score on his debut in the Bundesliga, DFB Pokal and the Champions League.
There's only one man it can go to.
It was another record-breaking night for the Norwegian striker, who has now scored 39 club goals so far this season.
Borussia Dortmund manager Lucien Favre: "I think we made a very good game. We were very disciplined, also defensively. I think Paris had very few chances to score and we did it very well. But we also did it well on offence. I think we had several chances to score in the first half, but we scored in the second half. And that's how football is sometimes.
"[Haaland] has defended well with the others too. He was very compact with the other players and that helped all of us that he also defended. And of course, when we get a chance to play with him we do it in depth... or he can get the ball and hold it upfront and he did that very well."
PSG manager Thomas Tuchel: "We are now at 2-1 down and we can certainly play better. For me, it's not a problem of formation, it's how we played. We are at half-time. We now have 90 minutes at the Parc des Princes and we have good chances to win.
"We tried to find Neymar more, so that he could find Mbappe a bit more. We know that they have a good relationship on the pitch. Neymar was a bit short of game-time, and because of that we missed out on Kylian's quality. They have a connection those two.
"Kylian has an assist, but it was a difficult game for him. It's a game for him to grow and improve. I trust that he and Neymar will be important in the second game and they will find the right pace. We will have a better performance at home.''
Borussia Dortmund now travel to Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga on Saturday (kick off 2.30pm), while PSG host Bordeaux on Sunday evening at 8pm in Ligue 1. The second leg of this fixture at Parc des Princes is on March 11 at 8pm.
