Champions League final preview: Dortmund vs Real Madrid – Where to watch, possible line-ups, analysis, form guide
Saturday, June 1, 2024
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When is it? How can you watch it? What are the predicted line-ups? All you need to know about the UEFA Champions League final between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid.
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Borussia Dortmund meet Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 1 June.
UEFA.com previews the most prestigious match in European club football as the two clubs battle for the ultimate prize.
Champions League final at a glance
When: Saturday 1 June (21:00 CET)
Where: Wembley Stadium, London
What: 69th European Cup final
Who: 1996/97 champions Dortmund vs 14-time winners Real Madrid
How to follow: Build-up and live coverage can be found here
Where to watch the Champions League final on TV
Fans can find their local UEFA Champions League broadcast partner(s) here.
What do you need to know?
Dortmund have been the surprise package of this season's competition in the eyes of many, coming through arguably the toughest group before seeing off PSV, Atlético de Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain to reach the Wembley final. Those performances belied an inconsistent league campaign in which Edin Terzić's men eventually finished fifth.
Also group winners – with a maximum 18-point haul no less – Madrid came through stern tests in all their knockout ties to reach the final, teetering on the brink against Leipzig, Manchester City and Bayern before reaching their 18th final in this competition. Their nail-biting progression was quite a contrast to their league form, with Carlo Ancelotti's men easing to another La Liga title.
Madrid are unbeaten in their 12 matches in the competition this season (W8 D4) and, remarkably, this is the first time they have reached a European Cup/Champions League final without losing a match. Dortmund have lost only one of their last 11 European outings (W7 D3), though, keeping clean sheets in six of those games and scoring the first goal in nine of their last ten matches.
BVB's last Champions League final also took place at Wembley Stadium, where they lost 2-1 to Bayern in 2013, with Mats Hummels and Marco Reus still playing pivotal roles for the club 11 years later. That experience will be vital against a Madrid side who are no strangers to the biggest game in European club football, and who have lost only one of their last 20 UEFA competition matches against German teams (W13 D6).
Analysis & talking points
Predicted line-ups
Dortmund: Kobel; Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Maatsen; Can, Sabitzer; Adeyemi, Brandt, Sancho; Füllkrug
Suspended: None
Real Madrid: Courtois; Carvajal, Nacho, Rüdiger, Mendy; Valverde, Kroos, Camavinga; Bellingham; Rodrygo, Vinícius Júnior
Suspended: None
Form guide
Dortmund
Form (all competitions, most recent first): WLWWWL
Most recent result: Dortmund 4-0 Darmstadt, 18/05, German Bundesliga
Where they finished: 5th in Bundesliga, German Cup round of 16
Real Madrid
Form (all competitions, most recent first): DDWWWW
Most recent result: Real Madrid 0-0 Real Betis, 25/05, Spanish La Liga
Where they finished: 1st in Spanish La Liga, Spanish Cup round of 16
History
Expert predictions
Matthias Rötters, Dortmund reporter
I see Borussia Dortmund as the underdogs against Real Madrid, but that gives them a good chance of springing a surprise. While Dortmund have often had problems with teams sitting deep in the Bundesliga, they have usually been able to exploit the spaces offered by more attacking opponents in the Champions League. When BVB attack at pace, it is difficult for any team in the world to stop them – and Madrid are unlikely to want to limit themselves to defending in the final.
Graham Hunter, Real Madrid reporter
Anyone drawing on the teams' respective Champions League history and automatically assuming the Spanish side are shoo-ins to win will be thinking very differently to Real Madrid. Their six matches against Bundesliga rivals this season produced four single-goal wins, two draws, and hugely testing experiences each time. Tactically, athletically and mentally, they expect this to be identical. Madrid have not lost a UEFA knockout final since 1983, against Aberdeen in the European Cup Winners' Cup. Talented? Yes. But such a remarkable will to win. The extra kicker is that Luka Modrić, Toni Kroos, Nacho and Dani Carvajal could all join Madrid legend Paco Gento as the only players to win the European Cup six times.
European Cup final pedigree
Dortmund
European Cup final record: P2 W1 L1 F4 A3
Most recent appearance: Dortmund 1-2 Bayern, 2013
Real Madrid
European Cup final record: P17 W14 L3 F43 A23
Most recent appearance: Liverpool 0-1 Real Madrid, 2022
Facts & form
What the coaches say
Edin Terzić, Dortmund coach: "You don’t play a final, you win a final – and that is our clear goal. We're happy to be here but we have to win to hold that trophy in our hands. We are ready to compete on the highest level. If you break it down to one game then everything is possible. They have a role as the favourites, but we don't care. We weren't favourites against Atlético or Paris either. If we are brave and are not just here to see Madrid win the next trophy then we're going to have a chance."
Nico Schlotterbeck, Dortmund defender: "We'll have to see how we defend tomorrow. Their front three have enormous quality. Jude [Bellingham] can do everything: shoot, dribble and head. There's not much to say about the two wingers either. They've caused problems for every opponent in the world. We can't stop them on our own, only as a team. We played to nil twice against Paris. That's not normal. We now also know that we can beat any opponent in the world. If we all believe that tomorrow, we also have a good chance of winning."
Julian Brandt, Dortmund midfielder: "We try to remain calm. Of course, everything now is on a much bigger scale. You can't completely ignore it. But you can make everyday life as normal as possible. It's normal for there to be anticipation and excitement. Nevertheless, we try to take it as another match."
Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid coach: "The team is focused; we have the necessary confidence to show the best of ourselves. Everything's gone well so far and we have the right approach. My idea is to be super clear on the tactics. The clearer the players are, the happier they are, the better they'll perform. There'll be emotions, but emotion can bring fear and a block on the confidence needed to win. Quality is the number one thing, and my players are fantastic, but the other thing is the collective attitude, working and sacrificing for one another. They're the keys: talent and sacrifice."
Luka Modrić, Real Madrid midfielder: "It was once unimaginable to reach that [personal] six-trophy mark, but here we are. It's time to enjoy the moment and on Saturday take that one last step forward. We never stop believing, no matter how the circumstances are. We always keep believing, keep pushing, fighting till 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."
Nacho, Real Madrid defender: "This final is the best thing that can happen to a player, especially a Real Madrid player, and I hope everything goes according to our plans. I think that anyone in the world knows Madrid are special. When the anthem plays, it's like we are listening to our 'friend'. With all these trophies we've won, it has to feel that way. But when we hear the Champions League anthem tomorrow, there will be huge responsibility too."