2023-12-13 22:38:00
That Borussia Dortmund faced one on the last matchday of the Champions League preliminary round 1:1 (0:0) once morest PSG Securing victory in Group F was also due to central defender Niklas Süle. In the first half he prevented a goal from Kylian Mbappé with a sensational tackle – but then he was self-critical.
Süle misjudged a long ball from former Bayern star Lucas Hernández in the 17th minute and allowed Mbappé to run freely towards Gregor Kobel. The goalscorer went around the keeper and actually pushed into the empty goal – But at the last second, Süle swooped in and cleared the shot with a high right leg shot just in front of the goal line for a corner.
“Of course it looks spectacular. You can all take a look at my crotch,” laughed Süle in an interview with DAZN following the game. “For some reflex I can still get my foot.” Sports director Sebastian Kehl spoke of a “sensational” campaign, and the 28-year-old was also celebrated on social media.
But the hero of the day didn’t want to let his previous positioning mistake fall by the wayside. “I think that you have to prevent it beforehand. It is known how fast Mbappé is,” he analyzed. “I have to let myself go more quickly. The fact that such a spectacular save didn’t make it 0-1 is of course nice. I think I can do better beforehand.”
Just minutes before kick-off, coach Edin Terzic criticized unnecessary tackles on the DAZN microphone. After the final whistle, he of course made an exception for Süle: “We’re happy regarding every tackle that looks like that. That’s outstandingly good. That’s what I said: If you make a mistake beforehand, then you’re allowed to make a tackle like that show me too.”
And further: “Mbappé was very shocked that the ball wasn’t in there. It felt like a goal for us because it defended our zero.”
As group winners, Borussia can go into the Draw for the round of 16 on Monday hope for an easier fate. PSG, on the other hand, is threatened with the likes of Manchester City, Real Madrid and FC Bayern Munich.
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