Real Madrid vs Dortmund: Bellingham and Sancho go head-to-head at Wembley in huge Champions League final
TWO of Europe’s best teams will meet under the iconic Wembley arch TONIGHT as they try to get their hands on a famous Champions League title.
Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid will do battle to see who is crowned as the champions of Europe following a gruelling campaign.
Champions League final LIVE – Real Madrid vs Dortmund
Dortmund are looking to win their second ever Champions League trophy having won the competition back in 1997.
While Madrid are hoping to continue their dominance over European football by etching their name on the iconic trophy for a 15th time.
Los Blancos’ dominance in the competition, coupled with their team of superstars, puts them heavy favourites to walk down Wembley way with the trophy tucked under their arm on Saturday.
However, Dortmund have made a habit of pulling off giant killings on their way to London.
The German outfit topped their group, which had been labelled as the “group of death”, containing AC Milan, PSG and Newcastle United.
Before going on to knock out PSV Eindhoven and Atletico Madrid to book a spot in the semi-finals where, one again, they got the better of PSG.
Real Madrid topped their group in the early stages too and did so without dropping a single point.
That said, they were facing opponents they would consider far inferior to themselves in Napoli, Braga and Union Berlin.
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However, they continued their imperious form throughout the competition getting past RB Leipzig, Manchester City and Bayern Munich to book their flight to the capital.
Now the biggest stage in club football awaits and so do 90,000 fans who will cram into every corner of the “home of football” to watch the clash.
It’ll be business as usual for Carlo Ancelotti‘s Madrid side who have played in HALF of the last 10 Champions League finals – winning on every occasion.
While Dortmund haven’t reached this stage since the 2013 final – which eerily was also played at Wembley Stadium.
The Black and Yellow were beaten 2-1 by bitter rivals Bayern Munich that night and will be hoping to right those wrongs this year.
What is their form like?
Real Madrid have been typically Real Madrid this season.
The Spanish giants dominated La Liga to win a 36th league title and did so by finishing some 10 points off rivals Barcelona in second place.
Their form has seen them lose just ONE of their last 47 games across all competitions – an outrageous record that saw their only loss during that run come back in mid January.
Dortmund on the other hand have struggled domestically this season, finishing fifth in the Bundesliga table.
They also failed to reach to the final of any domestic cup competitions and have seen turbulent form across recent months.
That said, their Champions League form has been exceptional and they will be buoyed by a string of giant killings throughout the tournament.
Not forgetting that form goes out of the window in a major final anyway.
What is the team news and anything any injuries to worry about?
Despite missing the majority of the season with an ACL injury, Thibaut Courtois is expected to start in goal for Real Madrid this weekend.
David Alaba remains out with a long-term injury he sustained in December, while Eder Militao is expected to start on the bench as he continues to get up to pace following his injury.
The other big miss for Los Blancos will be Aurelien Tchouameni who has been ruled out with a foot injury.
As for Dortmund they have doubts over who will be starting up top for the heavyweight clash.
Sebastian Haller has been struggling with an ankle issue and is touch-and-go for Saturday.
Julien Duranville and Ramy Bensebaini have both been ruled out too.
Expect Marco Reus to start from the bench despite this being his final swansong in a Dortmund shirt.
Who will be the star men?
It would be easy to predict that Toni Kroos and Marco Reus, both of whom are playing their final match for their respective clubs, will dominate this game.
But in all likelihood it is going to be other players that sparkle on the biggest stage.
When you look at Real Madrid you can’t look past Jude Bellingham.
The England international has excelled in his first year with Madrid, scoring 23 goals and registering 12 assists in all competitions.
Expect stars such as Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo to also shine on the night.
As for Dortmund there are a number of players that could potentially step up to the plate.
Niclas Fullkrug, Donyell Malen and Julian Brandt all come to mind as stand out performers this season.
But having stood out in the quarters and semi-finals for Dortmund, Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho could be their star man.
The winger has a point to prove and is playing in familiar surroundings at Wembley.
What’s been said?
Borussia Dortmund coach, Edin Terzic said: “It’s almost surreal. I think in the grand scheme of things we deserved to reach the final.
“I know we won’t be favourites and it will be extremely difficult. But it’s just one match and, over the course of one game, anything is possible. We’ve proven that already.”
Meanwhile, Carlo Ancelotti said pre-match: ““We have all the excitement and optimism in the world. Calm, confidence, positive.
“The history of Real Madrid is born in the 1950s with this competition, and it’s something special: this is the competition where you are most concentrated, most focused.
“We will enjoy it until the day of the final because getting to a final is always a success. We know we have done something good this season; now we have to add the cherry on the cake.”
SunSport prediction
This Borussia Dortmund side should not be written off as they can certainly surprise the masses with their performances.
That said, with a logical hat on, it definitely looks like it’s Real Madrid’s game to lose.
Given their vast experience and imperious form it’s hard to look past the Spanish giants picking up a 15th Champions League trophy.
Prediction: Borussia Dortmund 1 – 3 Real Madrid
When is the Champions League final?
- The Champions League final will take place TONIGHT – Saturday, June 1.
- Kick off will be at 8pm BST.
- Wembley Stadium will host.
What TV channel is the Champions League final on?
- TNT Sports 1 will broadcast this year’s Champions League final.
- Coverage will begin from 6pm BST.
- Alternatively, you can keep up to date with all the action by following SunSport’s live blog.
How to live stream the Champions League final for FREE
- Since 2016, BT Sport have live streamed the match on YouTube, but that will change this year under the new TNT Sports brand.
- Now, you can live stream the Champions League final for FREE via the discovery+ app/website.
What are the odds?
Match result
- Borussia Dortmund – 4/1
- Draw – 3/1
- Real Madrid – 8/13
To lift the trophy
- Borussia Dortmund – 12/5
- Real Madrid – 3/10
*Odds courtesy of Paddy Power and are correct at the time of publication.