First look at the Champions League final: Real Madrid or Dortmund?
The White team start as clear favourites, but Dortmund have defied the odds to reach the final and are hoping to spring a surprise at Wembley.
final belonging Champions League 2024 defined: real Madridwinner 14 times, will meet Borussia Dortmundchampion 1997, at Wembley on June 1 with a view to lifting the trophy in London.
He Madrid starts as a clear favorite, with the team Carlo Anchelotti have just won their 36th La Liga title, extending their record. Against, Dortmund from Edin Terzic They are in fifth position in the Bundesliga, 24 points behind champions Bayer Leverkusen.
Despite his poor performance in the domestic league, Dortmund defied the odds to achieve final. They will be lucky this time at Wembley after losing to Bayern in the 2013 final.
For him MadridHowever, the motivation is the same every time they achieve a goal. final belonging Champions League: Will further widen the gap they already have over the second most successful club, Milan, with seven titles.
This will be the first meeting between Madrid And Dortmund V final belonging European Cup/Champions Leagueso here’s a way too early look at next month’s star battle.
How two teams reached the final
He Madrid smoothly advanced to the group stage, winning all six Group C matches against Braga, Napoli and Union Berlin.
Team Ancelottiwho last lifted the trophy in 2022 with a 1-0 win over Liverpool in Paris, scored 16 goals and conceded seven in a regular group stage campaign.
He Dortmund were Group F winners, with wins home and away against Newcastle United proving to be the key to progressing from a group that also included Paris Saint-Germain and Milan.
Unlike performance Madrid in his group Dortmund He scored just seven goals in six games but maintained a solid defense, conceding just four goals.
However, both teams had to struggle in the playoffs to reach the playoffs. final.
He Madrid scored a narrow round of 16 victory over RB Leipzig, scoring 2–1 on aggregate, and then eliminated defending champions Manchester City 4–3 on penalties after a 4–4 aggregate draw.
And victory Madrid There was real drama in the semi-final against Bayern, with two goals from substitute Joselu securing a 2-1 win at the Bernabeu and a 4-3 aggregate score. Bayern seemed set for the final until Joselu scored in the 88th and 91st minutes.
Meanwhile, Dortmund capitalized on being in the easier half of the draw, avoiding all the tournament favourites, and started with a 3–1 aggregate win over PSV Eindhoven in the round of 16.
The team followed up with a quarter-final victory over Atlético Madrid with a score of 5:4. Terzic will eliminate PSG with two wins with a score of 1-0.
Who has the advantage?
It’s been a long time since real Madrid reached the final Champions League more than a favorite, but no team was such a clear underdog as Dortmundperhaps since Liverpool faced the almighty Milan Ancelotti in Istanbul in 2005.
What final 19 years ago proved to be one of the most memorable of all time, with Liverpool coming back from 3-0 up at half-time to beat Milan on penalties. Dortmund He certainly knows where to look for inspiration at Wembley.
He Madrid Has a tournament pedigree. This will be your sixth final for 11 years, and they won the other five. He Madrid didn’t lose the final Champions since 1981, winning eight since then.
He Dortmund They have won the Orejona only once, in 1997, when Ottmar Hitzfeld’s side beat Juventus in Munich. Their only final appearance ended in defeat to Bayern at Wembley in 2013.
So history is clearly on the side Madridbut they are also favorites because of the here and now.
Team Ancelotti The team boasts superstars such as Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior, world-class players such as Toni Kroos and Antonio Rudiger, and the experience of the entire squad.
Midfielder Julian Brandt is the team’s star player. Dortmundand have top-notch experience working with Mats Hummels and Marco Reus, but they have also reached this stage because they banked on the loans of Jadon Sancho and Jan Maatsen from Manchester United and Chelsea respectively, and also benefited from astute signings from Marcel Sabitzer from Bayern.
Ancelotti will be chasing his fifth title Champions League against a coach who only has one trophy on his resume – the German Cup in 2021.
Everything indicates that Madrid has an advantage.
Team strengths and weaknesses
Only Manchester City (28) have scored more goals than Madrid (26) in this season’s competition, so the threat of attack posed by the team Ancelotti Clear.
Vinicius, Rodrigo and Joselu have scored five goals each, while the team’s top scorer is German centre-forward Niklas Füllkrug. Dortmund with three.
He Madrid can score goals, have the ability to control games from midfield with Kroos, Eduardo Camavinga and Federico Valverde. Defensively, Rudiger has arguably been the standout defender of the tournament this season.
But despite its many strengths, Madrid conceded eight goals in six playoff games, so Dortmund will have opportunities to score. We are faced with a big dilemma Ancelotti Should you bet on goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who has recovered from an injury that kept him out all season, or stick with Andrey Lunin, the hero who saved the penalty in the semi-final win over City.
He Dortmund It’s mostly about teamwork and team ethics. Terzic has created a team that is more than the sum of its parts.
According to official statistics UEFAno team made more entries (207) than Dortmund They also lead the team in rebounds (529). He Dortmund He also leads the team in tackles won (108) and clearances (251), and his six clean sheets are two more than the next best players (Arsenal, Inter Milan, Real Sociedad, Bayern Munich).
He Dortmund This is not a team that scores many goals, so if Madrid take the lead at Wembley, it will test their ability to create opportunities.
Key players and matches
Bellingham left Dortmund for him Madrid In a transfer worth over $100 million last summer, the English midfielder has already established himself as their most important player.
Although the 20-year-old’s incredible early form has waned, Bellingham boasts 22 goals in 39 appearances in all competitions and has provided 10 assists. His performances in his first season at the Bernabeu made him a leading candidate for the Ballon d’Or.
He Madrid He has key players in the team. Rüdiger – the mainstay of the defense Ancelotti while Kroos dictates the pace with his calm temperament and range of passing. Vinicius’s speed, skill and goals give them an edge that could hurt any team in the world.
He Dortmund He relied on his team to reach the final, but 35-year-old defender Hummels was brilliant in defence. The Germany international lacks pace but his ability to read the game ensures he remains a key part of the team. Terzic.
Brandt’s creativity and Sabitzer’s energy, composure and reliability ensure Dortmund a force in midfield, while Füllkrug is a classic threat as a centre-forward and his clash with Rudiger will make for a thrilling duel.
Sancho is back to his best form on the right flank Dortmund and created an unpredictable attacking threat for the team.
He Dortmund He will need Sabitzer to negate Kroos and Hummels to keep the defense solid when real Madrid attack from all sides. From point of view Madridthey need to make sure they have a plan to counter the air threat from outside Dortmund in standard plays.
The end of the fairy tale?
Everyone loves sports stories, right? Well, because both Madrid How Dortmund They have players in their squad who will go on to a remarkable journey if they lift the trophy.
For him DortmundIt is about Sancho rebuilding his career at his former club after spending the first half of this season training alone at Manchester United following a public row with manager Erik ten Hag. United bring Sancho back on loan Dortmund in January, just two and a half years after signing him to a deal worth more than $80 million, with little expectation the 24-year-old would finish the season final from Champions League.
But Terzic inspired Sancho to return to his best level, and now Sancho has the opportunity to end what would seem to be the worst season of his career with a championship medal.
Romantic story in the camp Madrid revolves around Joselu, the hero of two goals in the semi-final victory over Bayern.
Two years ago, the 34-year-old former Stoke City striker watched Madrid He beat Liverpool in Paris as a fan and then signed for Espanyol that summer after his Alaves contract expired.
Although Joselu scored 16 goals, finishing third behind Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski and Barcelona’s Karim Benzema. Madrid In the scoring table, Espanyol was relegated. But after losing Benzema as a free agent, Madrid He strengthened his attacking options by bringing in Joselu on loan as cover for his most prominent strikers.
However, he now ends the season as the hero of the tournament. MadridLos Blancos are one victory away from ultimate glory.
Forecast
Everything indicates that Real will win his fifteenth title Champions League. The national team players will need the performance of their lives. Dortmund flip the probabilities. They have a chance to succeed and will be supported by some of the most passionate fans in Europe.
But real Madrid is the king of Europe, and it is once again almost impossible to see anything other than white ribbons on the trophy.
Prediction: Real Madrid 3-0 Dortmund