Borussia Dortmund will host French champions Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday evening (kick-off 21:00 CEST). In an interview with UEFA ahead of the first leg, Jadon Sancho and Julian Brandt described the emotions following the quarter-final win against Atletico, gave their assessment of the Black & Yellows' chances against PSG, and talked about the key match-ups in the upcoming clash.

Julian Brandt and Jadon Sancho on…

…the emotions after the win over Atletico Madrid:
Brandt: "It's evenings like this - we've had one or two of them since I've been here - that stick in the memory and you take home with you. You can feel the incredible energy that such a huge crowd can generate in a stadium. It takes you to a new level, which peaks towards the end of the game. Those are the moments in your football career that you look back fondly on and will still be doing so in 20 or 25 years' time."

…the significance of the group-stage matches against PSG (a 2-0 loss in Paris, a 1-1 draw in Dortmund) for the game on Wednesday:
Brandt: "Our performance in Paris was atrocious. We seemed a bit daunted each time we got forward. We didn't play well. The game at home was a bit different. We knew that a draw would be enough for us to win the group. That's different to an all-or-nothing situation like we'll have in the semi-finals."

Sancho: "It's a new game, the group stage is in the past. We just have to concentrate on what's in front of us and how we want to play in the tie."

…opportunities in the semi-final:
Brandt: "I believe both teams are capable of delivering great things. I think we'll fancy our chances, but I'm sure PSG will do the same. The foundation must be laid in the first leg. It will come down to small things, that's always the case in a semi-final. So we have to make sure we don't make the same mistakes this time as we did against Atletico."

Sancho: "We have to remain humble in these times. Paris will be another tough test for us and we have to give our all to get to the final. I'm just focusing on the next game and that's how we'll approach it, game by game."

…the clash with former Borussia player Achraf Hakimi:
Sancho: "We had a great connection when we played together. It will be nice to see him again, he's a great player. We'll be ready and I'm sure they'll be ready too - so it'll be a good battle."