PSV Eindhoven and Borussia Dortmund tied (1-1) and left for their second date the sentence of a duel that began exciting and declined as soon as the score was tied and the promise of the return match in German lands stopped both sides. It accelerated and slowed down in a tie that gives the Dutch the option of reaching the quarterfinals of the Champions League for the first time in 17 years. For Borussia it would mean placing among the top eight in the competition for the fourth time in the last decade. They are fighting two classics, two continental champions who have seen better days, so for now they leave more entertainment and uncertainty than talent. Everything remains open.
1
Walter Benitez, Jerdy Schouten, Sergio Dest, Oliver Boscagli (Armando Bishop), Jordan Teze, Joey Veerman, Malik Tillman, Ismael Saibari (Mauro Junior), Luuk de Jong, Johan Bakayoko and Hirving Lozano. Richard Pepi, min. 74)
1
Alexander Meyer, Julian Ryerson, Ian Maatsen, Nico Schlotterbeck, Hummels, Malen (Salih Ozcan, min. 82), Jadon Sancho (Marius Wolf, min. 68), Marco Reus (Brandt, min. 62), M. Sabitzer, Emre Can y Füllkrug (Youssoufa Moukoko, min. 82)
Goals 0-1 min. 24: Grind. 1-1 min. 55: Luuk de Jong.
Referee Srdjan Jovanovic
Yellow cards Hirving Lozano (min. 21), Ian Maatsen (min. 42) and Nico Schlotterbeck (min. 45)
PSV has less economic power, but it is in a winning dynamic and did not allow itself to be easily dominated. Undefeated in the domestic competition, only Arsenal in the Champions League and Feyenoord in the Cup had defeated them so far this season. The Dutch leader could play perfectly in the Bundesliga: he presses, moves incessantly and in attack relies on the veteran De Jong who shows his skill to pivot between centre-backs and open spaces for his attackers, for example Tillman, who was able to score on two occasions before the break. The one who did it was Malen, a winger whom Borussia signed from their rival after paying 30 million euros. It was him, applauded by his fans, who came to fruition after an ambush by Borussia on the wing to recover the ball and put together an attack in three passes. Malen scored with a shot from a barely angle that had the ability to direct the squad and avoid Meyer, the German team’s substitute goalkeeper, called to get ready a few minutes before the start of the game after the announced Kobel was injured in the warm-up.
The goal came halfway through the first half and there was hardly any response from PSV because everything they built was met with an attack that was somewhere between blunt and candid. But his only plan was to insist and as soon as he returned from the break he did so with as much faith as perseverance until Hummels knocked down the inevitable Tillman in the area. Luuk de Jong did not forgive from the spot and started a new match because Dortmund put aside their precautions and PSV held their reins a little, as if the draw did not seem like a bad result. The locals came together in handling the ball, to minimize the effect of the transitions of their rival, who looked at the goal in some strategic action. The efforts that the match had required also contributed to slowing down its pace. Borussia ended up liking the local white flag proposal, so everything diminished. Ambitions and accelerations were blurred with the view of a sentence that will not be known until March 13 on the banks of the Ruhr.