Dortmund vs Real Madrid - All the Info you Need to Know about the Champions League Final
Borussia Dortmund vs Real Madrid: An Unexpected Final!
The Champions League final takes place on Saturday June 1 at Wembley Stadium.. While we may have expected Real Madrid to make the final, that's certainly not so with their opponents Borussia Dortmund. The German Bundesliga side have done well to make it to this much-anticipated Champions League final.
Real Madrid are the clear favorites to win Saturday's final. However, this is a cup match and upsets do happen so be careful with your bets on this match. If Dortmund can get to the final, then they are more than capable of going on to win it and lift the trophy.
Before finding all the information on this Champions League final, let;s take a look at just how these two sides made it to Wembley for this final.
Borussia Dortmund - Their Route to the Final
The last six seasons have seen Borussia Dortmund only reach the quarter-finals once. Their hopes of a long run this season couldn't have been too high when the group draw was made. The Bundesliga side found themselves in Group F with PSG, Milan and Newcastle United. It soon became known as the Group of Death.
A Champions League final wasn't being thought of when Dortmund began the group with a 2-0 away defeat at PSG followed by a goalless draw at home to Milan. Just qualifying looked a difficult task at that stage. The Germans didn't give up though and eventually finished top of the group.
They beat Newcastle United home and away and then won away in Milan. Their final group game saw them draw at home with PSG and they were group winners.
Thanks to winning Group F, they avoided some of the tougher sides and were drawn against PSV Eindhoven in the last 16. After a 1-1 away, Edin Terzic's men won the home leg 2-0 for a comfortable 3-1 aggregate win and a place in the quarter-finals for the first time since 2021.
They had a tougher draw in the last eight but no Champions League quarter-final is ever going to be easy is it? Dortmund were drawn against Antoine Griezmann's Altético Madrid with the first leg away from home. They went 2-0 down in 32 minutes but scored a vital late goal. The home second leg saw them take the lead with two first half goals. Atletico levelled the scores in the second half but two late goals secured the home side a 4-2 win and a 5-4 aggregate success.
That win saw them in the last four and another set of matches against PSG. Dortmund won both legs 1-0, showing incredible combativeness and reaching their final since 2013 and the chance to lift the trophy for the first time since 1997.
Bet on Dortmund vs Real Madrid
Real Madrid's Route to the Final
For Real Madrid, the group stage was much less eventful. With Napoli, Union Berlin and Braga to be faced the Madrid club were the big favorites to top Group C but few thought they'd do so in such a convincing manner winning all six of their group fixtures.
Their opening game needed a 94th minute goal from Jude Bellingham as they beat Union Berlin 1-0 at home. The English player went on to score four goals in the group stages.
Their second German opponents of the season were met in the last 16 as they were drawn against RB Leipzig. They won the away first leg 1-0 and despite being held to 1-1 home draw in Madrid, they progressed into the quarter-finals 2-1 on aggregate.
Then came a tough draw against the reigning cup holders Manchester City who had beaten them in last season's competition. The first leg was one of the matches of the tournament. They led and trailed before scoring a late goal to earn a 3-3 draw. The second leg was at the Etihad where Real had suffered some heavy losses in the past. Not so this year though as they took an early lead. City equalized and the game ended 1-1 after 90 minutes. Eventually the match went to a penalty shootout and it was Real who dethroned City.
In a way, this season's Champions League has almost been Real Madrid v the Bundesliga. The semi-finals saw them face their third German opponents of the competition, this time Bayern Munich. Vinicius scored twice in Munich and the La Liga side battled to a 2-2 draw. The home second leg saw them go 1-0 down (3-2 on aggregate) and that was still the score going into the 88th minute. A controversial ending saw Joselu score twice and a 91st minute goal saw Real win 2-1 and make it into the final where they now face their fourth Bundesliga side. Unlike their opponents, Real have made it to this final without losing a single match.
It's their sixth Champions League final in the past ten years. Don't hesitate to consult our Champions League final prediction.with top analysis of this final.
Bet on the Champions League final
Dortmund – Real Madrid broadcast: on which channel and at what time to watch the match?
In the UK the Champions League final can be seen live on TNT Sports 1. Coverage begins at 6pm with two hours of analysis before the game begins. You will need a subscription to access this channel.
There will also be a live stream for free on the Discovery+ app and website. You can also follow all the action on our Champions League livescore with updated statistics and live text commentary.
Where is the Champions League final Being Played?
The final of this Champion's League 2023-2024 edition will be played in London, England, at the legendary Wembley stadium! The original Wembley Stadium first staged matches 101 years ago. It was revamped and the new stadium opened in 2007. It is one of the most famous sporting venues in the world and hosted the last Euro final in 2021.
Note that this stadium has already hosted two Champions League finals: in 2010-2011, for a victory for FC Barcelona against Manchester United, and in 2012-2013, saw an all-German final as Bayern Munich beat... Borussia Dortmund! Before that there were European Cup finals also held at Wembley Stadium This is the first time Real Madrid will have played a final at Wembley Stadium.
Not necessarily a good memory for BVB supporters therefore. With a capacity of 90,000 seats they'll hope for a win this time at one of the largest and most famous stadiums in world football.
Bet on Dortmund vs Real Madrid
Who is the Referee for this Champions League final?
The main match referee of this Champions League final will be the 44-year-old Slovenian Slavko Vinčić. And this clash between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid will be the 24th match of the season for the official, who has distributed 91 yellows and 2 reds in total this season.
In the Champions League, for this 2023-2024 edition, he refereed a qualifying match (Young Boys vs Maccabi Haifa on August 29) and 5 matches during the rest of the competition: 3 in the group stage (Lazio Rome vs Atlético Madrid , PSG vs AC Milan and Naples vs Braga), 1 in the round of 16 (Bayern Munich vs Lazio Rome) and 1 in the quarter-finals (Borussia Dortmund vs Atlético Madrid).
Mr. Vinčić has already crossed paths with Dortmund this season, for a very positive result for the Borussen: 4-2 victory against another club from Madrid..
Bet on Dortmund vs Real Madrid
Borussia Dortmund vs Real Madrid: highlights of the match
While Real Madrid will be looking for their 15th Champions League and Borussia Dortmund only their second, there have been two players who have made notable contributions for their teams on the way to this Champions League final.
A Memorable First Season for Bellingham
Transferred last summer from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid for just over 100 million euros, England international Jude Bellingham has had a memorable first season with his new club. Now he takes on his former teammates in the Champions League final. He won't be the only English player as Jadon Sancho is back at Borussia Dortmund.
Jude Bellingham has scored four goals for Real in this season's Champions League, all in the group stages. He impressively scored 19 goals for Real in La Liga this season and will be at home at Wembley Stadium as he bids to win the Champions League with Real Madrid.
Bet on Dortmund vs Real Madrid
The departure of two legends
If Marco Reus will not remain in people's minds as a legend in football history, the soon-to-retire player will be for the BVB and its supporters. He was part of the youth set-up at Dortmund but began his senior career at Rot-Weiss Ahlen between 2007 and 2009. Transferred to Borussia Mönchengladbach he played there for three years until 2012, he proved his qualities to everyone undeniable, scoring 43 goals in less than 120 games.
Such impressive performances saw him return to Borussia Dortmund and he's been with them since 2012. With 424 matches played and 172 goals scored for the BVB, he ranks among the favorite players of BVB fans. If his record was often truncated by numerous injuries, he never cheated and always gave everything for his club. Winner of the German Cup (2017 and 2021) and the German Super Cup (2013, 2014 and 2019), he intends to add the best possible trophy to his list of achievements this Saturday evening, especially after the trauma of the final lost in 2013.
On the Real Madrid side, a true football legend is bowing out! Indeed, Toni Kroos recently announced that he did not wish to extend his contract with Real Madrid and would end his football career. He wanted to leave this sport in top form, and will therefore play his final match with the white jersey. And that is indeed the case, since he won La Liga this season, in addition to the Spanish Super Cup!
He obviously wants to finish in style, make even more history and win his sixth Champions League, the fifth with Real, and thus join Paco Gento on the list, the only one to have won the Champions League on six occasions. He said a very emotional farewell to the Bernabeu last Saturday, he will play his last match with Real Madrid at Wembley on Saturday evening before joining Germany for a final tournament, with Euro 2024 in his sights.
