On Wednesday night, Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund will battle for the final time in the UEFA Champions League this season with the winner on aggregate advancing to the quarter-finals of the tournament.
One person who has played for both clubs offered up his thoughts on the tie ahead of the second leg at the Parc des Princes.
Christian Wörns, the first German to wear the Parisian colors and who also played 10 seasons for Dortmund, sat down with Le Parisien for a one-on-one interview to help preview the match.
One of the first questions given to Wörns was whether he believes that Kylian Mbappé and Neymar Jr. can carry PSG to a victory. Although Wörns raves over the talent that both players possess, the 47-year-old believes that those two cannot have regular performances.
If PSG hopes to pass to the next round, they’ll need all-world performances from their two key players. Only playing football won’t be enough, according to Wörns.
Furthermore, the former Parisian gave his opinions on PSG’s defense, starting with Thiago Silva. Wörns mentions that the Brazilian remains a world-class defender, and if he were to miss the match, it would be good news to Dortmund’s chances of advancing.
Then the conversation switched to fellow German, Thilo Kehrer. With Thomas Meunier suspended for the return leg, Wörns believes that this is an opportunity for Kehrer to seize the moment.
“I find that he is a complete player, at the same time rough in duels and interesting in his raises thanks to his technical qualities, but he needs rhythm before he can claim to find his best level,” Wörns said.
Playing against a German club and being at the center of attention in Germany, the Kehrer has a chance to put his name on the map.
Finally, the French outlet wanted a prediction from Wörns on which will advance, and although he spent 10 seasons with Dortmund, the German chose PSG to get through to the next round.
“In my eyes, Paris is slightly favorite, because I see this team showing something other than Dortmund,” Wörns said. “In the end, it looks balanced, but I have the feeling that PSG will have the last word.”
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