Borussia Dortmund can count on their incredible away record as well as the defensive quality of Mats Hummels & Co. to see them over the line against Paris Saint-Germain and into the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League final.

bundesliga.com highlights five reasons BVB can land another famous win against PSG in their semi-final second leg...

Click here for PSG vs. Dortmund team news and LIVE coverage!

1) Awesome away record 

The magic of the Yellow Wall and Signal Iduna Park may have been a huge asset in the first-leg success, but this Dortmund side have nothing to fear at all in making the journey to Paris.

Staggeringly, Edin Terzić's men had taken more points away from home in the Bundesliga this season (30) than at home (27) at the time of the first leg. Only runaway champions Bayer Leverkusen boasted a better away league record. 

That trend is easy enough to explain from Dortmund's first-leg showing alone. With a battle-hardy defence capable of soaking up all manner of pressure, wing wonders Jadon Sancho and Karim Adeyemi providing pace on transition and Niclas Füllkrug's textbook hold-up play, the Black and Yellows have all the tools for success on the road.

As difficult a fixture PSG away is, wins this season at the Allianz Arena, St. James's Park and the San Siro give every hope the Bundesliga side can flourish in the French capital, too. They drew 1-1 there to secure top spot in the groups, after all.

Watch: Dortmund won 2-0 away at Bayern in March

2) Attacking prowess

One of the secrets to Dortmund's success in reaching the semis has been their ability to score goals from all over the pitch. There have been no fewer than 11 different European scorers in their ranks this term, with Ian Maatsen and Marcel Sabitzer getting on the scoresheet in the thrilling second-leg win over Atlético in the quarter-finals.

Füllkrug's fabulous strike in the first leg of the semi-final means he is the club's top scorer in this year's UCL with three goals - ahead of Julian Brandt, Adeyemi and Marco Reus on two.

Throw in Donyell Malen, Sancho and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens – who have all found the net in the competition this season - and there are plenty of reasons for PSG to be fearful. You also would not write off the likes of Julian Ryerson, Mats Hummels and Youssoufa Moukoko - all on target in the Bundesliga this term - adding further names to that varied list of scorers.

Watch: Dortmund's best goals so far in 2023/24

Want more Bundesliga Action?

GET THE UPDATES!

3) Smells like team spirit

Dortmund's collective unit have not just been outstanding in front of goal, they have also shown an incredible amount of determination. So often an intangible when it comes to football, Dortmund's commitment to the cause is there for all to see in cold hard facts.

As a team, they top the 23/24 UCL charts for balls recovered (486) and tackles (191). Their defence has been particularly outstanding and they boast the joint-most clean sheets (five) - ahead of Bayern, Arsenal, Inter Milan and Real Sociedad - thanks to their first-leg shutout of Mbappe and his PSG attacking buddies.

Two men at the very heart of Dortmund's defensive success have been Hummels and Nico Schlotterbeck, who rank first and second for balls recovered (108 and 69), and first and third for tackles (45 and 32), respectively. Meanwhile, PSG have conceded a full 14 times already in this year's competition.

Watch: Hummels' best outside-of-the-boot passes

4) Full focus 

Dortmund's first-leg success was celebrated across German football, for good reason - it ensured there will be an extra Champions League spot for Germany in next year's expanded competition.

That was cause for even further rejoicing in Dortmund, who are assured of finishing in the top five - and have therefore booked their spot in next season's edition after being locked in a difficult battle for the top four of the Bundesliga standings. 

With the pressure completely off in the Bundesliga - Terzić made 10 changes for the 5-1 rout of Augsburg on Saturday - the Black-Yellows can focus fully - mentally and logistically - on seizing the chance to make their first Champions League final since 2013. 

Watch: Niclas Füllkrug's top 5 goals in 2023/24

5) Malen to make return?

Malen’s Dortmund career has taken time to take off, but this season there are signs the Netherlands international has really found his feet, and his shooting boots. He scored just 14 league goals in his first two seasons at BVB, but has 12 this term with six coming in seven appearances before he suffered a thigh injury that sidelined him for the quarter-final tie with Atleti.

Although that injury has proved to be rather niggly and kept him out of Dortmund's trip to Leipzig on Matchday 31, Malen moved closer to a comeback by watching the first leg of the semi-final from the substitutes' bench, before scoring against Augsburg. Given how preoccupied PSG might be in avoiding Sancho and Adeyemi tormenting them again, the prolific Malen might just be the ace up Terzić's sleeve in the second leg.

Watch: Every Donyell Malen goal in 2023/24

“You see every day in training what a good finisher he is. He had lots of good chances in the Hinrunde that he didn’t take, where he lacked a little bit of precision,” explained the BVB coach. Terzić asked for “a little less power and a bit more accuracy” in Malen’s finishing, and has clearly been heard.

Malen only has one goal in the Champions League – against his former club PSV Eindhoven – but most of his appearances in the competition came before his coach’s piece of advice, so - PSG beware!

About the clubs

Borussia Dortmund

SIGNAL IDUNA PARK