Mbappé stars in final CL outing for PSG as defence faces scrutiny

PSG's Mbappé's final Champions League game in Paris highlights a defensive conundrum. Despite Mbappé's offensive potential, PSG's defense faces pressure after Hernandez's injury. Coach Enrique must address defensive weaknesses to secure a win against Dortmund, who also boast attacking prowess. The winner faces Real Madrid/Bayern Munich in the final, where solid defending will be paramount.

Mbappé plays his final CL game in Paris with PSG. But it's the defence that is back in the spotlight.

No doubt Kylian Mbappé will be greeted with loud cheers and applause when he takes to the Parc des Princes pitch on Tuesday night.

It will be his final Champions League match in the French capital in a Paris Saint-Germain shirt.

Mbappé is leaving the club this summer after a seven-season stint, hoping the journey concludes with a Champions League triumph in Wembley on June 1.

But first things first, as Mbappé tries to engineer a fightback in the second leg of their semi-final against Borussia Dortmund, trailing 1-0 from the first leg in Germany last week.

The France striker was a disappointment in the first leg and PSG now expects a strong reaction from the club's all-time leading scorer to overturn the deficit, especially after he failed to score in his last two appearances against Dortmund.

''We're confident we'll come back from that score and qualify for the final," Mbappé said on Sunday, as quoted by French media.

In support of Mbappé, PSG has plenty of firepower upfront, with Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola, Gonçalo Ramos or Randal Kolo Muani available.

Coach Luis Enrique has more worries in defence after former Bayern Munich defender Lucas Hernandez was ruled out for the remainder of the season with an anterior cruciate ligament rupture that required surgery.

The injury was a tough blow for PSG, which has conceded 14 goals in the competition this season but finally stabilized the heart of its defence with the pairing of Marquinhos and Hernandez. After Hernandez came off injured last week against Dortmund and was replaced by Lucas Beraldo, the Brazilian substitute's lack of experience was obvious.

Luis Enrique will, however, have to consider giving him a starting role or put his trust in Milan Skriniar, who is back from injury and lacks both competition and rhythm.

Another option would be to pair Danilo Pereira with Marquinhos to add strength and presence in the air, particularly on Dortmund's set pieces.

Solid defending will again be crucial for PSG, which faces a team with great attacking qualities and 11 different scorers on the European stage this season.

The winner will play Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the final in London. The old rivals drew 2-2 in their semi-final first leg in Germany.

PSG, which enjoyed a rest day over the weekend after wrapping up the Ligue 1 title, has never won Europe's top club competition. Dortmund claimed the 1997 title.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)