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HOW BVB STAR FAIRED IN GERMANY'S 4-0 OVER FINLAND

Germany - Finland | picture alliance/GettyImages

Germany's final home game before the 2026 FIFA World Cup resulted in a dominant 4-0 win over Finland in Mainz on Sunday.

Deniz Undav struck a brace whereas Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala also scored apiece as Die Mannschaft were given a cheerful send-off from the home fans.

The four-time champions will now travel to Chicago for their last warmup friendly against the United States before kicking-off their campaign against Curacao on 14 June.

Which BVB stars featured?

Earlier in the day, it was confirmed that Felix Nmecha would start for Germany. Turns out, Nico Schlotterbeck was also in the mix, starting in their four-man backline.

Maximilian Beier and Waldemar Anton were on the bench. But while Beier was subbed in after the break, Anton didn't feature at all.

How did Dortmund player fare?

Now speaking of their performance, Schlotterbeck displayed excellent vision to make one interception and two clearances while also winning two of his three ground duels.

Combining his towering stature with strong physical attributes, the BVB star made sure that Finnish forwards didn't have any time or space to work into.

As for Nmecha, the midfielder was heavily involved in the passing game and registered a 91% completion rate. He also laid one key pass while making two shots in the game.

The 25-year-old was involved in Germany's second goal as his high-press promoted a Finnish defender to make a backward pass that was intercepted by Undav for Wirtz to score.

In the build-up to their third one, Nmecha released Aleksandar Pavlovic on the right to race ahead and set up Undav.

Having made only six appearances for Germany before this, Nmecha displayed tactical intelligence that belied his age and experience.

Naglesmann's intent behind starting him tonight was perhaps to get the player more accustomed to his set-up before the cup and the Dortmund star seemed to thrive in his role.

With that performance, his place in the XI for the tournament might just be confirmed now.

Beier came on for the final 17 minutes but made two attempts, both of which forced Finnish custodian Lukas Hradecky to intervene.

What about Anton?

Naglesmann clearly gave the younger players a chance here and Anton remaining on the bench is in no way a cause for concern for the BVB players.

Having played such a crucial role in Dortmund's defensive backline in 2025-26 season, he is sure to get his moment to shine with Germany too.

- Sachin Bhat

MOMENTS EARLIER, EMOTIONS GOT THE BETTER OF HIM. NIKLAS SÜLE ABRUPTLY ENDED HIS FINAL INTERVIEW AND CARRIED A MCDONALD'S BAGS INSIDE

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During Niklas Süle's final interview as a professional footballer, a curious moment arises: the centre-back suddenly feels peckish.

During his conversation with Sky presenter Sebastian Hellmann on the "Spielmacher" podcast, Süle announced his retirement. His contract with BVB expires at the end of the season. During the chat, he highlighted the standout moments of his 13-year professional career and candidly discussed his recurring weight issues. Towards the end, he even paused the interview to retrieve a bulging McDonald's bag from an adjoining room.

First things first. Before Süle presented his greasy gift, he stressed his principles and said he had never compromised his character. "At every club I've been to, I've made it clear who I am. Back then, I told Dortmund: 'If you're looking for a captain who shouts his head off – that's not me.' I spent an hour alone with Marco Rose, and he got me so motivated I felt ready to set the world on fire. He truly understood me. So I ended up as second or third captain and still wore the armband 15 times, even though I'd already explained I wasn't the shouting type. I thought, 'Maybe they're doing this because they say, "Hey, he earns the money, so he has to lead the way."' Why did I fit so well at Bayern for so long? Because there were other players who took on that role. Everyone in the team knew that,' he explained, adding, 'I don't say a word during the game.'

"I never forced anyone and said, 'Now pay me this and sign me!' I always played a different game. Anyone who says otherwise is lying." His agent, Volker Struth, had warned him about his candour. "Sometimes you have to watch that you're not too honest," he noted. "I've met thousands of players in my career and I don't think anyone would stand up and say, 'That Süle, he's a prick.' I can't imagine that. The person has always been much more important to me than playing 30 more games. That matters."

He admitted, "I certainly didn't get everything right," yet added, "I'm prouder of that than five league titles or five Champions League trophies. I've always stayed true to myself; sport never went to my head. My family and closest friends are very proud of that, and I know it," he said, his eyes filling with tears. "It almost makes me emotional." Moments later, the McDonald's bag made its grand entrance, prompting Hellmann to burst into laughter.

Getty Images 

Süle has repeatedly struggled with weight issues

"I don't know what time it is, but I'm starving," Süle declared with a broad grin, then stepped out of the room. "If this is my last interview as a pro, I'll order twelve cheeseburgers. There are four of us, so three each—simple maths—but I usually polish off six myself. That was just a little joke, in case anyone fancied one." Nevertheless, he took a bite out of a cheeseburger shortly afterwards and explained, with his mouth full, that he'd thought of the joke during the car journey. Hellmann helped himself too.

A few minutes earlier, Süle had opened up about the pressure he felt over his weight during his career. At FC Bayern Munich, he once fasted the day before a weigh-in and sweated in a raincoat inside a sauna to shed pounds quickly.

- Tim Ursinus

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UCL: DORTMUND DOESN'T HAVA A MBAPPÉ, AND THEY DON'T NEED ONE

 

Niclas Fullkrug scored the only goal in Borussia Dortmund's 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinal on Wednesday. Hendrik Deckers/Borussia Dortmund via Getty Images

DORTMUND, Germany -- Borussia Dortmund don't need a star to sparkle.

They don't have Vinícius Júnior, Harry Kane or Kylian Mbappé -- the talismans of this year's other Champions League semifinalists -- but the players they do have, they use effectively. Now, seemingly against the odds, they're in sight of the final.

A 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in Dortmund on Wednesday means that if BVB can avoid defeat in Paris next week in the second leg, they will be lining up against either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich at Wembley in the Champions League final.

If they get there, they will be underdogs again. But they were against Atletico Madrid in the last round, and not many had them qualifying from a group that also included Newcastle United, AC Milan and PSG. Yet here they are, 90 minutes away from earning an unlikely shot at being crowned champions of Europe.

Mats Hummels was named Man of the Match, and Jadon Sancho was exceptional -- but as if to ram home the point about what is powering Borussia Dortmund's Champions League run, coach Edin Terzic was more interested in praising the collective quality and spirit his players had shown.

"It was a well-deserved win, a good team performance," he said. "We could have scored more goals, but so could they. That's why the result is OK from my point of view. We ran a lot, but that's necessary in a game like this. You have to earn your way to Wembley.

"All we need now is a draw in the second leg, but we also want to win next week. We have a small lead and a good opportunity."

While PSG have collected star after star under the deep-pocketed ownership of Qatar Sports Investments, Borussia Dortmund have grown used to having their best players stripped away.

Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland, Robert Lewandowski, Christian Pulisic, Ilkay Gündogan, Manuel Akanji and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have all, at different times, gone onto bigger and better things. Ousmane Dembélé is now at PSG via a €135 million move to Barcelona from Dortmund in 2017.

The exit door at Signal Iduna Park has swung open again and again, but it hasn't stopped Terzic from building a team that, as PSG found out, is greater than the sum of its parts. BVB's goal here was scored by Niclas Füllkrug, a 31-year-old journeyman striker picked up for €15 million from Werder Bremen in the summer.

The pass that Fullkrug expertly took down and smashed low into the net midway through the first half was delivered by defender Nico Schlotterbeck, signed for €20 million from Freiburg in 2022.

There were impressive performances in midfield from Emre Can, back in Germany after spells at Liverpool and Juventus, and Marcel Sabitzer, deemed not good enough for either Bayern Munich or Manchester United last summer.

Veteran defender Hummels, back at Dortmund after being lured away to Bayern in 2016, was calm and clever in the face of Mbappé's darting pace and movement. Ian Maatsen, who joined on loan from Chelsea in January following temporary spells in England's lower leagues with Charlton Athletic, Coventry City and Burnley, was solid at left-back.

Sancho returned in January, too, having been forced out at Manchester United following his public row with manager Erik ten Hag.

What must Ten Hag be thinking after watching the winger terrorise PSG with 12 successful take-ons -- the most in a Champions League semifinal since Lionel Messi in 2008. Had Fullkrug taken a golden opportunity in the second half after Sancho had danced his way to the byline and cut the ball back, Dortmund would be heading to France with an even greater advantage.

PSG also had their moments and twice hit the inside of the post through Mbappé and then Achraf Hakimi. Mbappé had a quiet night, but he was still able to make the 88,000 feverish home fans hold their breath whenever he collected the ball anywhere near goal.

At the final whistle, the Dortmund players clapped and danced in front of the "Yellow Wall," which started making a deafening noise more than an hour before kick-off and didn't stop.

Every PSG touch was greeted with ear-spitting whistles, and every tackle and pass from a player in yellow was met with a roar of approval loud enough to make it feel like the stadium was shaking in its foundations. When the result was finally confirmed after four minutes of stoppage time, the roof nearly lifted off into the spring sky.

It's perhaps no surprise that Dortmund haven't lost any of their past 11 home Champions League matches, a run only bettered by Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.

"Everybody knew that this wasn't going to be easy, this is the semifinal of the Champions League," said PSG coach Luis Enrique. "We must recognise that this is an exceptional stadium, with fans who know how to support their team. The dressing room is a bit down, especially after hitting the post twice. That's football. Sometimes it's wonderful, and then other times, that's how it goes."

PSG turned around a first-leg deficit against Barcelona in the last round and beat Dortmund 2-0 at home in the group stage in September.

It will be enough to give Enrique hope that a place in the final is still up for grabs, and with Mbappé anything is possible. But Dortmund's team full of players overlooked and underappreciated have put themselves in pole position. Win or draw in Paris, and their underdog story leads all the way to Wembley.

- Rob Dawson, Correspondent

BORUSSIA DORTMUND VS. PARIS SAINT-GERMAINE

DORTMUND ENDS 'ROLLERCOASTER' DAY IN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMIS

Borussia Dortmund players celebrate in front of their fans after reaching the Champions League semifinals. Getty Images

 Marcel Sabitzer scored late and set up two goals to send Borussia Dortmund into the Champions League semifinals with a helter-skelter 4-2 win over Atlético Madrid on Tuesday.

After losing the first leg of their quarterfinal 2-1 in Madrid, Dortmund had to come from behind twice over two legs to advance 5-4 on aggregate.

Julian Brandt opened the scoring to level the tie before Sabitzer set up Ian Maatsen to give Dortmund a 2-0 lead on the night.

Atlético coach Diego Simeone responded with three changes at the break and they all paid off. A Mats Hummels own goal and goal from substitute Joaquín Correa put the Spanish side back in front on aggregate.

Then Sabitzer set up Niclas Füllkrug in the 71st minute for the Germany forward's first goal after nine scoreless games, and Sabitzer scored himself three minutes later to send Dortmund into the last four.

"That was a rollercoaster, a really great evening," Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke said. "It's not always like that for Borussia Dortmund. The last time we were in the semifinals was in 2013. This is a great day for all Borussen."

Dortmund will face Paris Saint-Germain again in the semifinals. PSG progressed to the final four with a 4-1 win at Barcelona. And Dortmund coach Edin Terzic feels his side, who won the Champions League in 1997, are now better prepared to face the French champions, after the Germans lost away and drew at home in the group stage.

"Our first game against them wasn't good. In the second game, we adjusted to them better and were closer to victory. I think we're a better team today than we were against them in the group stage," Terzic said following the win over Atletico.

The final will be played June 1 in London, where Dortmund lost the 2013 final 2-1 to bitter rival Bayern Munich.

Tuesday's win stretched Dortmund's unbeaten run at home in the Champions League to 10 games.

"We were close to tying the game, but they were superior, and when a team is superior they should be congratulated," Simeone said.

Atlético needed goalkeeper Jan Oblak at his best. He denied Brandt, then Karim Adeyemi, before Brandt finally made the breakthrough in the 34th, firing a powerful shot in off Oblak's leg from a difficult angle after eluding former teammate Axel Witsel.

Sabitzer then combined with Maatsen, who surged past two defenders and fired the ball inside the far post in the 39th. It was the Dutch defender's first Champions League goal.

But Atlético only needed four minutes after the break to level the tie when Hummels' attempted clearance of Mario Hermoso's header ended in his own net.

Correa should have scored shortly afterward when he nudged the ball wide. Simeone - dressed sharply in a black suit - flopped to the ground in frustration.

Correa made no mistake in the 64th when he fired in a rebound after his first attempt was blocked.

It put the visitors back in front, but Sabitzer was involved in both goals as Dortmund struck twice in three minutes to send the home fans wild.

"It was a crazy game for the fans and for us. A great game for us, for our fans and for all football fans around the world," Brandt said after receiving his man-of-the-match award.

"It's going to be very serious now against Paris. We played well against them at home in the group stage, but not well away. We want to do better now and, of course, reach the final."

For striker Niclas Fullkrug, who also got on the scoresheet, the Champions League semifinals will be a new experience.

"I've never played at this level before and I'm very proud to be in the semifinals of the Champions League with my team," Fullkrug said. "Things will certainly be different against Paris than in the group stage."

Information from Reuters and The Associated Press was used in this story.

- ESPN News Services