Former Paris Saint-Germain star David Ginola was left licking his wounds after his prediction of a victory against Borussia Dortmund fell flat.
Luis Enrique's PSG were attempting to overturn a 1-0 deficit when they welcomed Dortmund to the Parc des Princes on Tuesday night. It wasn't to be, though, with Mats Hummels scoring the only goal of the game to send the underdogs through to the final.
There were plenty of chances for the French side to get themselves on the scoreboard, but it wasn't to be. They hit the woodwork several times and were denied a penalty when Hummels was ruled to have fouled Ousmane Dembele inches outside the box.
It was an evening to forget for star forward Kylian Mbappe, who is poised to leave Paris without a European trophy. It was also a humbling experience for Ginola, who had backed his former side to deliver the goods in the lead-up to the game.
“Physically, technically, tactically, they are ready," Ginola told Le Parisien (via Get French Football News). "Now we have to see how the players fit into this collective to ensure that the evening is a success, a great celebration for the club and for French football.”
PSG came desperately close on four occasions, with Warren Zaire-Emery and Nuno Mendes hitting the post and Mbappe and Vitinha finding the crossbar. Mbappe's effort was touched onto the woodwork by Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, who was singled out for praise by his manager Edin Terzic after the game.
Dortmund's victory means they're the first team to book their place in the final at Wembley. They'll be joined there by either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid, who play their second leg on Wednesday, and a Bayern match-up would be a repeat of the 2013 final.
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"When the result is that, yes it's difficult of course," PSG boss Luis Enrique told TNT Sports after his team's defeat. "A tight match, but to be honest I think we have to win the match.
"We created 31 shots, four [times hitting the woodwork] - football is so unfair sometimes. Congratulations to them. They are a great team and I hope they can go to the final and win it."
"That is our job to try to create something and it is a sad moment," the Spaniard added when asked about his team's capacity to regroup. "We need to create something that is special and next year we will try to win the competition."
The result was a frustrating one for the Ligue 1 champions especially considering they beat Dortmund 2-0 at home in the group stage. They've already made sure of the domestic league title with games to spare, but could have a say in other teams' chase for Champions League qualification and fight against the drop before the season is over.
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