The 2023-24 Champions League semi-finals are over with a lot of drama, surprise and anguish. Borussia Dortmund dealt the final blow by beating Paris Saint-Germain on their own turf in France, leaving Kylian Mbappé without a European trophy as he prepares for his exit at the end of the season. On the other hand, Real Madrid did what Real Madrid does and surprised Bayern Munich in the final minutes of the match to seal their place in the final.
In the final we will see Dortmund face Madrid, but beforeWe asked ESPN writers Gab Marcotti, Alex Kirkland and Julien Laurens to answer some of our burning questions from this round.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (US)
1. Who was your player of the tournament?
I'll take Dortmund striker Niclas Füllkrug, simply because of what he represents. It's crazy to think that he is 31 years old and this is his first Champions League. But he scored the goal that beat PSG in the first leg, as well as the one that tied the tie against Atlético de Madrid. And he started every game, except the first game (which they lost). He is not always pleasant to watch, but he is intelligent, makes the most of his physical attributes and is a thorn in the side of defenders for 90 minutes. He fits perfectly into this Dortmund team of misfits and rejects. – GM
After his performance in two games against Bayern Munich, it is difficult to look beyond Real Madrid's Vinícius Júnior. He scored both of Madrid's goals in the first leg of the semi-final (converting a Toni Kroos pass and then a penalty kick) and although he didn't score in Wednesday's second leg, he was easily Madrid's best player in 90 minutes . Vinicius starred in the quarterfinals against Manchester City, with two assists in the 3-3 draw at the Bernabéu, and scored against Leipzig in the round of 16. He continues to contribute to his game, looking just as dangerous in the middle as he does now. on the left. And, at 23 years old, he will continue to improve. – Alaska
I would give it to Andriy Lunin. Real Madrid's back-up goalkeeper replaced the injured Thibaut Courtois and has been quietly excellent in the knockout stages of this Champions League campaign. He was Madrid's best player in the first leg of the round of 16 against Leipzig and in the second leg of the quarterfinals against Manchester City, where he was the hero of the penalty shootout after playing an excellent game. He was also very good in Munich in the first leg of the semi-finals and he also did a good job in the second leg. At 25 years old, he is having a very good season but, unfortunately, he might not play in the final due to Courtois' return to full fitness. – jl
1:08
Mbappé “disappointed” after PSG's elimination from the Champions League
Kylian Mbappé shares his thoughts after PSG's defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League and looks ahead to the French Cup final.
2. Does Mbappé's failure to deliver the Champions League to his hometown club tarnish his legacy at PSG?
Of course, winning the Champions League would have been the perfect send-off before joining Real Madrid on a free transfer this summer, although doing so by beating Madrid in the final at Wembley would have been a bit awkward. That can't happen now. The real concern is not Mbappé's failure to win the Champions League, but the nature of his performances against Dortmund in the home-and-away semi-final. A player who aspires to “best in the world” status should be decisive in these matches, not anonymous. There has always been the feeling that this Madrid team needs an elite striker like Mbappé to take them to the next level, but is it the other way around? — Alaska
Among all the records, goals and trophies, there will always be a “but…” in Mbappé's history with Paris.
Great players perform in great games, but…
They should have won us the Champions League but…
And everything is fair. Mbappé failed to bring the Champions League trophy to Paris and become a club legend by being the first to do so. In fact, he was quite calm, as he was in the key matches of the last seven years: the 2020 final, the 2021 semi-finals and this Dortmund clash. – jl
“Tarnish” is a loaded word, but I think there's definitely a sense of unfinished business and the whole premise that he'll return to his hometown club before moving on. He had seven seasons, both with older superstars like Neymar and Lionel Messi, and then this year with Luis Enrique's youngsters and the highest budget in European football. So if he leaves (and everyone assumes he will), there will definitely be a sense of regret. Possibly set up a return one day. – GM
2:14
Is Thomas Tuchel to blame for Bayern's late collapse?
The “ESPN FC” team analyzes Thomas Tuchel's decision to eliminate Harry Kane and Leroy Sané at the end of the match against Real Madrid in the Champions League.
3. Was this match based on Tuchel's changes or Ancelotti's?
For me the game turned around because of Manuel Neuer's big mistakes more than because of the training of Tuchel and Ancelotti. 12 minutes passed between the Bayern defense and Joselu's first goal. What was going through the German goalkeeper's head in the 88th minute? Why did he throw the ball forward so quickly instead of kicking it long towards Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and wasting more precious minutes? That mistake was intercepted in the Bayern half and, four passes later, Vinicius had a shot on goal that led to his second. It was an easy shot to save for a goalkeeper of Neuer's caliber, but he missed and let Joselu make it 1-1. Until that surprise, Neuer had been brilliant, but his mistakes cost his team the game more than any change by any of the coaches. – jl
Both. Obviously, having scored both goals, Joselu was quite important. But that's the kind of obvious substitution you make late in the game when you're chasing him. Luka Modric and Eduardo Camavinga's were also predictable, you knew we would see them at some point and I think it's interesting that Madrid's form didn't change, but they were the same. The tactical changes you can congratulate Ancelotti on were the other two: sending in Joselu might have been obvious, but doing it for Fede Valverde (who can run all day and has scored his share of late goals) was not, nor was It was taking Rodrygo (if Ancelotti were superstitious, he would have remembered his exploits against City) to make way for Brahim Díaz.
That said, Tuchel's decision to take out Jamal Musiala and Harry Kane (as tired as they were) was strange. Yes, there were only five minutes left, but if Madrid scores once, you'll be stuck playing extra time without your two biggest attacking threats. Why would you do that? (In the end Madrid scored twice, so I guess it didn't matter) – GM
Two substitutes, Alphonso Davies and Joselu, could have scored all three goals at the Bernabéu, but perhaps the most important change in the match was the way Tuchel sought to maintain Bayern's 1-0 lead, withdrawing Leroy Sané and Harry Kane. and Jamal Musiala in the final 15 minutes and, in particular, replacing Sané with defender Kim Min-Jae. That swung the momentum in Real Madrid's favor, giving them license to go all out, which they did in the closing stages, epitomized by centre-backs Nacho Fernández and Antonio Rüdiger playing the passes for Joselu's winning goal. – Alaska
1:13
Tuchel rages at late offside: “It's against all the rules”
Thomas Tuchel can't believe the linesman raised his flag for offside in the final seconds of Bayern Munich's loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League.
4. Luis Enrique argued that PSG were better in both games but had no luck and cited xG and shots on the post… is he right?
Three of those hitting the woodwork came after they were down 2-0 on aggregate and two of them were long-range shots, rather than chances that arose from open play and possession, so I'm not safe to say that. Yes, PSG had many opportunities to win but, as the saying goes, you have to finish them off and it's not just about luck, at least not in this case. You expect PSG to create more chances anyway, simply because they have better players (do you want to play the combined XI match?) – GM
We've heard this kind of thing from Luis Enrique before. He said very similar things when his Spanish team was eliminated from the 2022 World Cup by Morocco in the round of 16. He is a coach committed to prioritizing process over result, believing that if you do things the right way, your way, results will follow. Yes, he is right, PSG was better than Dortmund. And yes, they were unlucky. But they were also not good enough at taking advantage of opportunities. Hitting the club six times with two legs is not luck, it's a pattern. – Alaska
The best team does not always win in sport, which is the beauty of it. Great games are often won with the details and efficiency in both areas. So I don't support the bad luck theory. If you don't take advantage of your opportunities like PSG and give away a goal to the opponent (a terrible back pass from Marquinhos, poor marking from Lucas Beraldo and Gianluigi Donnarumma also fouled the goal), you don't deserve to qualify anyway. Paris was not at its best in any of the stages; They lack intensity, creativity and composure. However, they had enough opportunities to win, which will be a source of regret for the players and fans. – jl
