Will it be a record fifteenth UEFA Champions League title for the Kings of Europe, or will Dortmund avenge their heartache of the 2013 Wembley final?
Real Madrid advanced to the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League final with a remarkable late comeback win against Bayern Munich at the Santiago Bernebéu to deny an all-German showdown.
While Borussia Dortmund, more or less underdogs to even make it through the initial group stages, have gone on to defy all odds and now find themselves in a UCL final for only the third time in their history, their first since 2013.
This will be the first time Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund meet each other in a Champions League final. Meanwhile, it will only be the third time a Spanish and a German side play each other in the competition’s final.
Also read: UEFA Champions League Final: 5 things to watch out for
For Indian readers
Date: Sunday, June 2
Kick-off Time: 12.30 am IST
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London
For European readers
Date: Saturday, June 1
Kick-off Time: 9 pm CET
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London
There’s a reason why Real Madrid are called the Kings of Europe. Los Blancos have won the competition a record 14 times and are the only club to win multiple Champions League titles since 2015.
In the last ten years, Real Madrid have won five Champions Leagues; winning this season’s final will make it six in ten.
After topping their group, which notably had last year’s Serie A champions, Napoli, Real Madrid defeated RB Leipzig, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich in the next three knockout rounds to book their place at Wembley. In particular, the manner in which they overcame Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern Munich in the second leg of their semi-final tie is what will give Real Madrid a lot of belief going into the match on Saturday. With the tie slowly slipping away from their grasp, Real Madrid had to thank substitute Joselu for a late four-minute double to beat Bayern 4-3 on aggregate.
Real Madrid’s playing XI boasts some of the biggest names in European football, led by Brazilian forward Vinícius Júnior, who scored the match-winning goal against Liverpool two years ago to win Real Madrid’s 14th UCL crown.
Another player who would certainly garner a lot of attention is Jude Bellingham. The English star will play the final on his home soil against the club that sold him to Real Madrid last summer.
Borussia Dortmund, who have largely played second fiddle to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga for more than a decade, carved out their own successful route to a European final this season.
After topping what was considered the “Group of Death” with Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, and Newcastle United as the other three teams, they made light work of PSV Eindhoven in the Round of 16 before setting up a quarter-final clash against Diego Simeone’s Atlético Madrid, which they won 5-4 on aggregate.
Dortmund survived their semi-final bout against Kylian Mbappé’s Paris Saint-Germain with some stout defending and some help from the post. PSG hit the post on a handful of occasions over 180 minutes in the semi-final tie, but the German club, thanks to goals from Niclas Füllkrug and Mats Hummels in either leg, won the tie 2-0 on aggregate.
Center-back Mats Hummels, who played in Dortmund’s last UCL final at Wembley in 2013, will be vital to slowing down Vinícius, Rodrygo, Bellingham, and the remaining Real Madrid attack.
Given the gulf in quality when you look at the two sets of players, it’s a mismatch. However, Dortmund have proven time and again that they are not to be taken lightly.
On paper, Real Madrid should win the match with their overwhelming attacking talent. Dortmund’s only path to victory is through a low-block, disruptive, and transition-based game in which they get one or two moments to make a difference, like they did in their second-leg win against PSG.
Real Madrid will have a full complement of players except long-term absentee David Alaba and Thibaut Courtois, who won’t be back until the start of next season, while French midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni remains doubtful ahead of the marquee fixture with a foot injury.
Dortmund, on the other side hand, have only Ramy Bensebaini as an injury concern, though the 29-year-old is expected to return to full training on the eve of the Champions League final, leaving Edin Terzic conflicted on whether to rush the talented left-back to his matchday squad.
Borussia Dortmund: Gregor Kobel; Julian Ryerson, Mats Hummels, Nico Schlotterbeck, Ian Maatsen; Emre Can, Marcel Sabitzer; Karim Adeyemi, Julian Brandt, Jadon Sancho; Niclas Füllkrug
Suspended: None
Real Madrid: Andriy Lunin; Dani Carvajal, Nacho Fernández, Antonio Rüdiger, Ferland Mendy; Federico Valverde, Toni Kroos, Eduardo Camavinga; Jude Bellingham; Rodrygo, Vinícius Júnior
Suspended: None
Form (all competitions, most recent first): W-L-W-W-W-L
Most recent result: Dortmund 4-0 Darmstadt in 1. Bundesliga
Domestic performance: Fifth in 1. Bundesliga | Round of 16 in DFB-Pokal
Form (all competitions, most recent first): D-D-W-W-W-W
Most recent result: Real Madrid 0-0 Real Betis in LaLiga
Where they finished: First in LaLiga | Round of 16 in Copa del Rey
Real Madrid 1 – 0 Borussia Dortmund
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