Pictures of historical character hang in the Louvre Museum in Paris. Immortalizations depicting historical protagonists and events are on display there. Now another work of art could be added – at least if some of the reactions on social media are anything to go by. On Platform
But first let’s get to the picture: Borussia Dortmund welcomed Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday evening and qualified for the round of 16 as group winners with a 1-1 draw. Before the game kicked off at 9 p.m., coach Edin Terzic appeared for an interview on the Dazn streaming service – and spoke primarily about one topic: the tackle. Defender Mats Hummels hit Leipzig’s Loïs Openda in the Bundesliga on Saturday and received a red card; BVB lost 2:3.
“That’s something I don’t like,” Terzic now noted, “when you go down, you have to be sure you can win the ball.” However, “there are situations in which you have to unpack the straddle in order to extend your body surface”. For example, “to slide the ball off the line”.
Süle initially misjudges the situation, but then makes a great save
When 17 minutes had been played on Wednesday evening, defender Niklas Süle had to remember his coach’s words. PSG left-back Lucas Hernández hit a long ball, Süle calculated the trajectory imprecisely. Unlike Kylian Mbappé. The striker suddenly appeared free in front of BVB keeper Gregor Kobel with the ball, passed it to the left and only had to push it into the empty goal. Süle had sprinted behind, circled around Kobel to the right, then slid parallel to Mbappé’s shot towards the goal – and kicked the ball away with his right foot just before the goal line in the style of a gymnast.
Defensive colossus Süle, who prevented the goal against world-class attacker Mbappé with a historic tackle: The picture immediately went viral and was declared “outstanding” by Edin Terzic after the final whistle. “Mbappé was probably very surprised that the ball wasn’t in there,” said Terzic.
Süle, however, admitted: “In my place you can defend it better at first.” But the scene “naturally looks spectacular.” He “reflexively got his foot up” – and created a picture that Parisians could theoretically take with them and have framed when they returned to the French capital.