Borussia Dortmund vs Real Madrid

All roads lead to Wembley Stadium this season as Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid go head-to-head in the 2023/24 Champions League final.

It’s been a season of mixed feelings for Borussia Dortmund. Despite their underwhelming Bundesliga campaign, Edin Terzic’s men have gone from strength to strength in Europe. After topping a ‘group of death,’ they’ve overcome PSV Eindhoven, Atletico Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain in the knockouts en route to their first Champions League final since 2012/13 when they lost to Bayern Munich. A lengthy two-week break between a 4-0 demolition of Darmsdadt in their last league outing and this mouth-watering encounter suggests ‘Die Borussen’ could take the field a bit rusty. However, confidence stems from their formidable run of four wins from five competitive matches in the build-up to the showpiece event (L1).

On the other hand, the record-time European champions are on the hunt for their third trophy this season after winning La Liga and Supercopa de Espana on the domestic front. Real Madrid have left two German sides in their way en route to Wembley, dispatching RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich in the round of 16 and semi-finals, respectively. On top of that, Carlo Ancelotti’s side dispatched reigning holders Manchester City in the quarter-finals to secure a shot at a record-extending 15th Champions League title. However, Ancelotti’s track record against Dortmund is far from brilliant, with the famous Italian tactician overseeing seven wins from 13 managerial H2Hs (L6). If ‘Los Blancos’ need an added motive to uphold their phenomenal record of winning every Champions League final since 1981 (W8), including seven in the 21st century, this will be Toni Kroos’ farewell game. The German playmaker will retire from football after Euro 2024.