Borussia Dortmund are only fifth in the Bundesliga, but in the Champions League they have impressed greatly.
The German team emerged victorious from the “Group of Death” with PSG, Milan and Newcastle, before successively knocking out PSV Eindhoven, Atlético Madrid and now PSG on their way to the Champions League final.
Norwegian Julian Ryerson impressed greatly for the German big team – and was naturally very satisfied after the match.
– It was very delicious, it was fantastic. It was a match with a lot at stake, so it’s really nice when it goes, says Ryerson to TV 2.
In the middle of the celebration, the German big club also took the time to post a sour message in the direction of the PSG stars.
The English one The X account to Dortmund reposted a picture of the French big team celebrating as Erling Braut Haaland – in the lotus position. Next to the picture, the Germans had written:
– Tastes like fine wine.
Photo: Borussia Dortmund / Twitter
Mocking Haaland
Haaland played for Dortmund until 2022. The image of the PSG stars received a lot of attention in 2020 after PSG knocked out Haaland and Dortmund.
And it especially took off when Neymar posted the picture with this text directed at Haaland.
– Your city is in Norway, go back. Paris is our city, not yours.
The background was that a picture of Haaland with the text “My city, not yours” had been circulated ahead of the giant clash in 2020. It could seem as if the jærbow had sent an arrogant message in the direction of PSG.
But according to Daily Mail it was never Haaland who had posted it, the picture was fake. Nevertheless, it created a reaction from the PSG stars at the time.
KEEPS NIL: Julian Ryerson and Dortmund silenced PSG’s stars. Here is the Norwegian in a duel with Kylian Mbappé.
Tribute to Ryerson
On Tuesday evening, it was another Norwegian who got the attention. TV 2’s Jesper Mathisen is full of admiration for Ryerson’s contribution in the semi-finals.
– Has Ryerson made a single mistake during these two games? He has been incredibly solid in everything he has undertaken. Broke in front, won duels, contributed offensively and was confident with the ball. Quite tired in the last few minutes here now, but what a delivery in his two biggest matches, writes Mathisen on X on Tuesday evening.
– Julian Ryerson – what a hero! It is difficult to play much better than he did as a full back tonight. Fantastic deserved progress he is now experiencing, writes Viaplay and Aftenposten’s football expert Lars Tjærnås.
There were also words of praise for Ryerson in TV 2’s studio.
– It is a magnificent match. If this was an exam, I’d give him a grade six, says TV 2’s football expert Simen Stamsø Møller.
Møller was far more critical of what Kylian Mbappé performed, in a duel against, among others, Ryerson.
– Shall we talk about Mbappé? There are rapids. You have to judge by the player it is. After such a match, he will be completely slaughtered in the French media. It is a crisis performance by such a good player, says Møller.
SLET: Kylian Mbappé went off the field goalless in Paris.
Photo: AP
Post bonanza over two games
In Paris, Julian Ryerson and Dortmund delivered a brilliant away game, where they also had the margins on their side. Time and time again, the PSG stars hit the bars and the crossbar.
In total, they ended up with six shots on goal during the two games against Dortmund, but with zero goals. This resulted in advancement to the Mesterliga final for Dortmund, who scored one goal in both games.
UP ON THE BACK: Ryerson celebrated with Mats Hummels shortly after the end of the match.
Photo: AP
– Nobody will ask how we won the game tomorrow. Shots in the bars have nothing to say tomorrow. What matters is that Borussia Dortmund are in the final again. Nobody expected this. It’s just unbelievable, says Dortmund’s Marco Reus to DAZN.
– We deserved to win the game. We hit the post six times in two games, but we didn’t score a single goal. It is not to be believed. Football is so unfair at times, PSG coach Luis Enrique told TNT, adding that he hopes Dortmund win the final.
For Dortmund, it will be their first Champions League final since 2013, when they lost the final against Bayern Munich – which could also be the final opponent at Wembley on 1 June.
In the second semi-final, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich meet on Wednesday evening, in a match where the score is 2-2 after the first leg.
Just who awaits in the final at Wembley in less than a month is secondary to Ryerson.
– I give a damn. It will be what it will be, same hell, says the Norwegian to TV 2.
CHEERING: The Dortmund players could let loose their cheers in front of their own supporters after the match.
Photo: AP
Ryerson vs Mbappé
Borussia Dortmund won the home game 1–0 last week and thus had a good starting point before the return meeting in Paris.
There, right-back Julian Ryerson received perhaps the biggest challenge so far in his career: Stopping Kylian Mbappé, who started as a left winger for PSG.
PSG started the best in Tuesday’s match, but without creating any great chances. Gradually, Dortmund got more into the game and Ryerson leveled with a shot from an angle after 18 minutes.
Lyngdølen had to see that the ball went into the net wall on the outside of the goal, but Dortmund continued to push forward. Karim Adeyemi got the biggest chance of the game after 35 minutes.
The winger took the ball with him for 50-60 meters and entered PSG’s 16-metre box, but PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was down lightning fast and saved the finish.
CLOSE DUELS: Julian Ryerson hung like a stick on Kylian Mbappé for large parts of the match.
Photo: AFP
– Unforgivable
Thus it was 0-0 at half-time. In the second half, it was full fire from the start.
The 18-year-old Warren Zaïre-Emery was only supposed to walk the ball into the back post after a corner kick, but from a somewhat oblique angle the PSG player sent the ball into the post, into his own body and over the dead line.
Two minutes later, a sloppy pass from PSG captain Marquinhos gave Dortmund a corner. They took full advantage of that chance.
Mats Hummels rose to the air and headed Dortmund into the lead. And Dortmund a long way towards a final in the Champions League.
– Beraldo loses Hummels completely. It is unforgivable, said TV 2’s expert commentator Brede Hangeland about Hummel’s scoring.
THE SCORING: Mats Hummels got free at the back of the field and headed in the game’s only goal.
Photo: AFP
There were still 40 minutes of normal time left, and the pressure from PSG increased in the minutes that followed. There was singing in the metal behind Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel several times, but there were no goals and Dortmund made it to the final.
There they get the opportunity to win the Champions League for the first time since 1997. At that time, another southerner, Steinar Pedersen, helped win the Champions League for the big German club.
Published 07.05.2024, at 22.52 Updated 08.05.2024, at 11.40