Borussia Dortmund vs Real Madrid Preview & Prediction | 2023-24 UEFA Champions League | Final

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In what has been an open UEFA Champions League campaign, Borussia Dortmund took advantage of that by reaching yet another final at Wembley, as they did in 2013. Real Madrid, the 14-time European champions, are their opposition.

KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Saturday 1^st June, 2024 - UK – 20:00 / US EST – 15:00 / US PST – 13:00

HOW TO WATCH ON TV: This match will be televised live on TNT Sports in the UK. / This match will be televised live on CBS in the US.

HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: This match will be streamed live via Discovery+ or the TNT Sports app in the UK. / This match will be streamed live via Paramount+, Univision, TUDN, Fubo, DirecTV Stream and ViX in the US.

BORUSSIA DORTMUND PREVIEW: THE PLUCKY UCL UNDERDOGS

Borussia Dortmund came through knockout ties against Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain in the spring after defeating Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven in the Round of 16. It perhaps isn’t the strongest set of teams to play against in order to reach a UEFA Champions League final and their general domestic form and performances do reflect their fortune.

If it wasn’t for how well German sides had done in European competition this season, with Bayern Munich reaching the semi-finals of this tournament and Bayer Leverkusen ending up as runners’ up in the UEFA Europa League, Dortmund wouldn’t have even qualified for next season’s UEFA Champions League as they actually finished fifth in the Bundesliga, two points outside of the top four.

REAL MADRID PREVIEW: GOING FOR A FIFTEENTH EUROPEAN CUP

In contrast to Dortmund, Real Madrid’s overall campaign has been utterly remarkable. Los Blancos finished their La Liga campaign at the weekend with a fairly flat and frustrating goalless draw against Real Betis at the Bernabeu but that does mean they have suffered just two defeats all season in 54 matches across all competitions with both defeats coming at the Metropolitano against Atletico.

That doesn’t mean, though, they haven’t still enjoyed some luck in the UEFA Champions League; really embodying what has become a cliché of ‘Madrid always find a way’. They squeezed past RB Leipzig with a 2-1 aggregate win in the Round of 16, needed penalties to see off Manchester City in the quarters and then trailed Bayern with a minute of the 90 to go in their semi-final before Joselu’s remarkable late turnaround.

BORUSSIA DORTMUND TEAM NEWS: MARCO REUS’ FAREWELL

Marco Reus played his final game in Dortmund a couple of weeks ago but will likely start the final game of his Black & Yellow career on the bench. Edin Terzic has the option of playing a 4-2-3-1 with Reus, or more likely Julian Brandt, playing as a number ten, which would be the same starting XI that triumphed over PSG in both legs of their semi-final, but when considering the strength of the opposition, could also opt to pack the midfield with a more defensive option in Salih Ozcan.

PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Kobel; Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Maatsen; Sabitzer, Can; Sancho, Brandt, Adeyemi; Fullkrug

UNAVAILABLE:

QUESTIONABLE: Bensebaini (Injured), Morey (Illness), Duranville (Injured), Haller (Injured)

REAL MADRID TEAM NEWS: COURTOIS TO PIP LUNIN

Despite having missed out on Domenico Tedesco's Belgium squad for UEFA EURO 2024 after missing almost the whole season with injury, the likelihood is that Thibaut Courtois will start ahead of Andriy Lunin in the final this weekend. Lunin has performed admirably in their run but Carlo Ancelotti has already hinted at Courtois' likely inclusion. A blow for Los Blancos would be that Ancelotti has confirmed Aurelien Tchouameni will not make it back in time for the trip to Wembley.

PREDICTED XI (4-1-2-1-2): Courtois; Dani Carvajal, Rudiger, Nacho, Mendy; Kroos; Valverde, Camavinga; Bellingham; Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior

UNAVAILABLE: Alaba (Injured), Tchouameni (Injured)

QUESTIONABLE: Lunin (Illness)

KEY STATS

• Borussia Dortmund have reached the Champions League final for the third time, after winning the competition in 1997 against Juventus and finishing as runners-up in 2013 to Bayern Munich at Wembley.
• Borussia Dortmund are aiming to win their third UEFA title after the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1966 (W 2-1 vs Liverpool) and the Champions League in 1997 (W 3-1 vs Juventus). They also won the Intercontinental Cup in 1997 (W 2-0 vs Cruzeiro of Brazil).
• Borussia Dortmund have lost only one of their last 11 Champions League matches (W7 D3).
• Borussia Dortmund have kept six clean sheets in their last 11 Champions League matches.
• Borussia Dortmund have scored the first goal in nine of their last ten UEFA Champions League matches.
• Mats Hummels' goal in the second leg of the semi-final encounter against Paris was Dortmund’s 250th goal in the Champions League era (excluding qualifying).
• Borussia Dortmund have already won a Champions League match in England this season. That was a 1-0 victory against Newcastle United in the group stage.
• Borussia Dortmund have lost on all their previous three visits to Wembley Stadium. The 2-1 defeat against Bayern in the 2013 final and a pair of defeats against Tottenham (3-1 in the 2017/18 group stage and 3-0 in the 2018/19 round of 16) when the London club played their home games in the stadium
• Edin Terzic is the third German coach to lead Borussia Dortmund into the Champions League final after Ottmar Hitzfeld and Jurgen Klopp.
• Mats Hummels and Marco Reus both played for Borussia Dortmund the last time they were in the Champions League final in 2013.
• In the second leg against PSG, Mats Hummels became the oldest German player to score in the knockout rounds of the Champions League, aged 35 years 143 days.
• Marco Reus has made the most appearances (71) and scored the most goals (24) for Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League. Four of those goals have been scored against Real Madrid (including two in a 2-0 home win in the 2013/14 quarter-finals). The Dortmund legend leaves the club at the end of the season, he celebrates his 35th birthday the day before the final (dob 31/05/1989).
• Mats Hummels, Marco Reus and Niclas Fullkrug are the only three players to make an appearance in all of Borussia Dortmund’s 12 Champions League matches this season. They are the three oldest outfield players in the squad, aged 35, 34 and 31 respectively. *Reus turns 35 the day before the final
• All the previous 14 matches between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid have been in the Champions League era with the head-to-head record reading: Borussia Dortmund wins: 3, Real Madrid wins: 6, Draws: 5.
• Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid have met in three Champions League knockout ties. 1997/98 semi-finals (Real Madrid won 2-0 on aggregate), 2012/13 semi-finals (Borussia Dortmund won 4-3 on aggregate) and 2013/14 quarter-finals (Real Madrid won 3-2 on aggregate).
• Borussia Dortmund have already faced Spanish opposition in the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League having defeated Atletico 5-4 on aggregate in the quarter-finals.
• Borussia Dortmund have won four of their last five matches in all competitions (L1).

• This is Real Madrid’s 18th appearance in the final of the European Cup/UEFA Champions League, extending their lead over AC Milan and Bayern who have reached 11 finals.
• Real Madrid have won the European Cup/UEFA Champions League 14 times, twice as many times as Milan who are their nearest rivals with seven titles.
• Real Madrid have been successful in each of their previous eight appearances in the final in the UEFA Champions League era. They last time they played a European Cup/UEFA Champions League final without lifting the trophy was in 1981 against Liverpool.
• Real Madrid have a remarkable 82% success rate in the final of the European Cup/Champions League with 14 triumphs from 17 finals.
• Real Madrid’s qualification for the final this year has increased the total number of appearances by Spanish clubs in the European Cup/Champions League final to 31; no nation has produced more finalists.
• Carlo Ancelotti has reached his sixth Champions League final (2003, 2005 and 2007 with AC Milan, 2014, 2022 and 2024 with Real Madrid), the most of any coach in the history of the European Cup/Champions League. The Italian is aiming to win his fifth title, his current total of four is already the most.
• Real Madrid are unbeaten in their 12 Champions League matches this season (W8 D4). Remarkably, this is the first time they have reached a European Cup/Champions League final without losing a match.
• In the second leg of the semi-finals Toni Kroos became the 7th player to reach 150 Champions League matches, group stage to final.
• This is Real Madrid’s 60th Champions League, group stage to final, match against German opposition. Their 82nd against German teams in all UEFA competitions.
• Borussia Dortmund will be the fourth different German team that Real Madrid have faced in the 2023/24 Champions League after Union Berlin (GS), RB Leipzig (R16) and Bayern Munich (SF).
• Real Madrid have played two European Cup/Champions League finals against German teams and won both times (W 7-3 vs Eintracht Frankfurt in 1960 and W 2-1 vs Bayer Leverkusen in 2002). Both of those finals were played in Scotland (Hampden Park).
• The only previous time that Real Madrid have played a UEFA competition match at Wembley Stadium (old or new) was against Tottenham in the 2017/18 Champions League group stage (L 3-1).
• Real Madrid’s Dani Carvajal, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos have all played in five Champions League finals, the only two players to have featured in six are Paolo Maldini and Cristiano Ronaldo. (UCL era only).
• Luka Modric and Dani Carvajal are aiming to match Paco Gento’s record and play on the winning team in six European Cup/Champions League finals.
• Real Madrid have only failed to score in one of their last 30 Champions League matches.
• Real Madrid have only failed to score in one of their previous 17 European Cup/Champions League finals. That was in their 1-0 defeat against Liverpool in 1981.
• Real Madrid have not conceded more than one goal in any of their last ten European Cup/Champions League finals. The last time was in their 3-1 defeat against Inter in 1964.

BORUSSIA DORTMUND VS REAL MADRID PREDICTION

It is the UEFA Champions League final and it very rarely a walkover – but also is it rare that a team loses the final having put in a genuinely excellent performance. For example, no team since AC Milan in 2005 has lost the final after scoring more than a solitary goal in the game. Borussia Dortmund are not necessarily the golden standout that are going to be able to tear a Madrid team with all the know how and experience that they have, combined with the youthful vibrance that is so obvious throughout midfield and attack. Real Madrid are the club of ‘the narrative’ so a first ever UEFA Champions League final for Jude Bellingham against his former club at his national stadium as well as German legend Toni Kroos bowing out of club football against a German side, winning their 15^th European Cup at the so-called ‘home of football’? Rationality and logic dictates Madrid will likely win quite comfortably but even the story remains, somehow, romantic, too.

BORUSSIA DORTMUND VS REAL MADRID TIP: REAL MADRID TO WIN -1 HANDICAP