Dortmund Optimism Ahead of Crucial CL Showdown in Paris

With a full crew and bolstered self-confidence, Borussia Dortmund sets off on the decisive journey to Paris, where they will face Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday evening in the second leg of the semi-finals of the Champions League. Except for the long-term injured Ramy Bensebaini and Julien Duranville, all BVB players boarded the plane to France on Monday. Notably, the return of top striker Sébastien Haller, who had to take a break during the last game, provides additional motivation for the Black and Yellows. Sporting director Sebastian Kehl expresses confidence but is also consciously tense: "We've packed a good measure of courage, anticipation, and optimism – tension is certainly a part of it too." The Bundesliga fifth-place team sees a solid foundation after the narrow 1-0 victory in the first leg against the French champion, to reach the final at Wembley Stadium and possibly face FC Bayern, who themselves need a victory against Real Madrid to keep the dream of the final on June 1st alive. Kehl recalls the good prior performance and the associated opportunity to advance once again to the prestigious final. To conserve resources, ten regular players sat on the bench in the last league match against Augsburg, which was won decisively 5:1. They are expected to be in the starting lineup in Paris. The young Kjell Wätjen, who proved convincing in the Augsburg match, initially did not travel with the team due to an A-level exam but is expected to join on the matchday and be included in the squad.