Borussia Dortmund face a tough test after a fairytale run to Saturday’s UEFA Champions League final (UCL Final) as a history-chasing Real Madrid storm Wembley hoping to be crowned European champions for a record 15th time.
When it comes to the champions league, no club come close to the Spanish giants’ success in the competition and they are strong favourites against a Dortmund side that have beaten the odds just to make it to London.
Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic, however, believes “anything is possible” as his side aim to shock Real Madrid in Saturday’s Champions League final at London’s Wembley stadium.
Madrid have lost just twice in 54 games in all competitions this season, storming to the title in La Liga by 10 points and thrashing Barcelona 4-1 to lift the Spanish Super Cup along the way.
However, they have had to once again dig deep to reach what coach Carlo Ancelotti described as the “biggest game of any season” in the Champions League.
Ancelotti’s men withstood a barrage from defending champions Manchester City to win their quarter-final tie on penalties before another legendary late fightback at the Santiago Bernabeu to beat Bayern Munich in the last four.
“We never stop believing, no matter how the circumstances are,” said Luka Modric, who along with Nacho, Dani Carvajal and Toni Kroos, in the final match of his club career, can win the European Cup for a record-equalling sixth time as a player.
“We always believe, keep believing, keep pushing, fighting until the end. In the end, we manage to find a way to beat opponents.
“Many people say there is luck, but when it happens so many times, I think it’s not just luck.”
– Real Madrid’s Bellingham moulded by Dortmund –
The career path of Jude Bellingham exemplifies the scale of the task facing Dortmund.
Plucked from English Championship side Birmingham as a teenager, he was moulded and developed by the German giants before being picked off by Real Madrid for a transfer fee in excess of 100 million euros ($109 million) 12 months ago.
Without him, Dortmund struggled domestically this season, finishing fifth in the Bundesliga, 27 points adrift of Bayer Leverkusen.
Yet, Terzic’s men have saved their best for the Champions League stage to reach the final for the third time in the club’s history and first since they lost at Wembley to Bayern Munich 11 years ago.
Dortmund topped the group of death featuring Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and Newcastle.
PSV Eindhoven and Atletico Madrid were then seen off before a heroic defensive display kept out PSG over two legs in the semi-finals.
“They are the favourites but we don’t care, we haven’t been the favourites against Atletico or against PSG,” said Terzic.
“But if we are brave and not here to watch Real Madrid lift the trophy, if we are here to give them a game, then we have a chance.”
In stark contrast to Madrid’s moniker as the kings of the competition, Dortmund’s only previous Champions League success came back in 1997.
Over 100,000 fans of the German giants are estimated to have made the trip to London despite the club being allocated just 30,000 tickets.
Marco Reus is one of only two Dortmund players who were in the side that lost to Bayern at Wembley 11 years ago and is dreaming of the perfect end to his time at the club.
Saturday will be the 429th and final game of Reus’ Dortmund career that could have a fairytale ending.
“I would say there is nothing better than playing your last game in a Champions League final and winning it,” said Reus, who turned 35 on Friday.
“Now the objective is to win the trophy because we cannot imagine how things could be the very next day in Dortmund.”
UEFA will be hoping the focus is on the protagonists on the field come full-time to ensure their decision to return to Wembley for a major final is not questioned.
Three years ago, the final of Euro 2020 was marred by violence as ticketless fans stormed the stadium doors to gain entry.
The English Football Association have invested £5 million ($6 million) into improving safety and infrastructure at Wembley, which is also set to host the Euro 2028 final.
Real Madrid, Dortmund Team News
Real Madrid face significant challenges with key players sidelined due to injuries. Defender David Alaba, a standout in the 2012-13 Champions League and a key figure in Real Madrid’s backline, remains out with an ACL injury. This setback has also dashed the Austrian international’s hopes of participating in Euro 2024.
Alaba is one of two Real Madrid players who will miss this weekend’s game. Aurelien Tchouameni has not recovered from his foot injury, leaving him unable to participate. As a result, veteran Nacho Fernandez is expected to wear the captain’s armband for what might be his final appearance for the club.
Despite these setbacks, most of Carlo Ancelotti’s squad is in good shape. Former Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham is fit and ready to play. However, goalkeeper Andriy Lunin has contracted the flu, forcing him into isolation. Due to concerns about the illness spreading, Lunin traveled separately to London. This situation simplifies Ancelotti’s decision to start the fully-fit Thibaut Courtois, a choice he has already confirmed.
Borussia Dortmund‘s medical team is busy working to get several key players back to full fitness. Defender Ramy Bensebaini (knee), winger Julien Duranville (muscle), and full-back Mateu Morey (illness) are all on the road to recovery, although Morey was not included in Dortmund’s Champions League knockout squad.
The main uncertainty for Dortmund is striker Sebastien Haller. After recovering from an ankle problem, Haller has returned to team training and is included in the squad. However, he is expected to play a secondary role to Niclas Fullkrug, who scored Dortmund’s first goal in their semi-final clash against PSG.
Edin Terzic is likely to stick with the lineup that has brought recent success. Ten of the 11 players who started in the second-leg victory over PSG also began the final Bundesliga match against Darmstadt, with the only change being Marco Reus replacing Julian Brandt. Reus, who scored in his final Bundesliga appearance for Dortmund, is a fan favorite and a sentimental choice to start. However, Terzic may opt to reintroduce Brandt into the starting XI to maintain tactical consistency.
Kick-off Time
The UCL Final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund will kick off at 8pm Nigeria time.
Discover more from starmich blog
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
