Füllkrug fires Dortmund to 1-0 win over PSG

DORTMUND, Germany (AP):

Niclas Fullkrug scored and Borussia Dortmund earned a 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final yesterday.

Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck sent a long pass over the top for Fullkrug to control brilliantly with his first touch before firing it past PSG's goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma with his next in the 36th minute.

It gives Dortmund a narrow advantage before the teams play again in the second leg in Paris next Tuesday, when, the French champions will need to overturn the result if they will capture Europe's biggest prize before Kylian Mbappe leaves.

PSG are under pressure to finally win the Champions League to justify more than a decade of huge investment from their Qatari owners.

Dortmund's win ensured they qualified for the tournament next season and gave the Bundesliga five teams in the expanded tournament. Dortmund are assured of finishing at least fifth.

Defender Lucas Hernandez went off injured after trying to stop Fullkrug from scoring. It looked like Hernandez suffered a left leg injury.

PSG pushed hardest early in the second half when Mbappe hit the right post before Achraf Hakimi struck the left post.

Gregor Kobel saved Mbappe's next effort and Dortmund survived the pressure.

Fullkrug went on to miss further good chances for the Germans, while Marquinhos made a crucial block to deny Julian Brandt late on.

Ousmane Dembele should have scored on his return to Dortmund when he blazed a shot over late, then Vitinha flashed a shot wide of the left post.

Dortmund coach Edin Terzic only made his first substitution in the 83rd, when he sent on veteran Marco Reus for the exhausted Karim Adeyemi.

The winner of the two-leg tie will play either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the final in London on June 1. The old rivals drew 2-2 on Tuesday in their semi-final first leg in Munich.