Bundesliga heavyweights Borussia Dortmund will welcome French champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to Signal Iduna Park for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final on Wednesday night (May 1). Both teams are eager to make it to the final at Wembley Stadium and will do everything in their power to make a statement of intent in the first leg.
Wednesday’s match will be extra special for PSG stars Achraf Hakimi and Ousmane Dembele, as they will return to their old stomping ground donning the enemy’s badge.
Throughout history, only five players have played for Dortmund and PSG’s senior teams, and today, we will check out who they are and how they fared at the clubs. Now, without further ado, let’s begin!
#5 Christian Worns
On July 5, 1998, former German center-back Christian Worns joined Ligue 1 side PSG from Bayer Leverkusen. On paper, it looked like a good transfer, but it ultimately turned out to be an incompatible marriage. Scoring twice in 28 Ligue 1 games, Worns left for Dortmund in July 1999 and spent the following nine years of his career at Signal Iduna Park.
The 66-capped ex-Germany international played 303 games for Dortmund between 1999-00 and 2007-08 seasons, scoring 15 times and providing eight assists. He won the Bundesliga title with Dortmund in 2001-02.
#4 Thomas Meunier
Belgian right-back Thomas Meunier moved to PSG from Club Brugge in July 2016. He quickly became a first name on the team sheet and kept his place for the following four seasons. The Belgium international played 128 matches for the club in all competitions, chipping in with 13 goals and 22 assists. He won three Ligue 1 titles and three Coupe de France with the Parisians.
In July 2020, Meunier signed for Borussia Dortmund and stayed put until moving to Trabzonspor in February 2024. During his stay, the 32-year-old played 83 games, scoring thrice and providing eight assists. The 2020-21 DFB Pokal was his sole achievement with Dortmund.
#3 Achraf Hakimi
One of the best right-backs in the world, Achraf Hakimi joined Borussia Dortmund on a two-season loan from his boyhood club Real Madrid in the summer of 2018. His pace and attacking acumen allowed him to settle in nicely in the Bundesliga, and he quickly became one of the first names on Dortmund’s team sheet. During his loan spell, the 25-year-old played 73 games for Dortmund, scoring 12 times and providing 17 assists.
He returned to Real Madrid in July 2020 and was sold to Inter Milan in the same transfer window. In his debut season, he helped Inter to the Serie A title, stringing a series of remarkable performances. Impressed with his ability, PSG lapped him up in July 2021, and he has been playing for them since. Over the last three seasons, the Morocco international has played 116 games for PSG, scoring 14 goals and claiming 19 assists. He has won three Ligue 1 titles with Les Parisiens.
#2 Abdou Diallo
Senegalese center-back Abdou Diallo signed for Borussia Dortmund from Mainz 05 in the summer of 2018. He scored once in 38 matches for the German outfit in the 2018-19 season before pledging allegiance to PSG.
Diallo spent three seasons in the French capital, chipping in with four assists in 75 matches across competitions. The 27-year-old, who currently plays at Al-Arabi SC, won three Ligue 1 titles and two Coupe de France at PSG, amongst other honors.
#1 Ousmane Dembele
Ousmane Dembele switched from Stade Rennais to Borussia Dortmund for a €35 million ($37.34 million) fee in July 2016. He quickly slid into the first team and emerged as the breakout star of the 2016-17 Bundesliga campaign. He played 50 matches for Dortmund that season, scoring 10 times and providing 22 assists.
La Liga giants Barcelona were heavily impressed with his performances and prized him away to Catalonia for a €135 million ($144.02 million) fee. The move ultimately backfired, as injuries and fitness issues kept Dembele from making the impact his price tag warranted. After six years, Barcelona cut their losses and sold him to PSG for €50 million ($53.34 million).
Since joining the Parisians at the start of the 2023-24 season, the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner has featured in 38 games, scoring five times and providing 14 assists.
