Borussia Dortmund vs Real Madrid: Preview, predictions and lineups
The grandest match of the 2023/24 season takes place on Saturday when Borussia Dortmund meet Real Madrid in the Champions League final.
Having navigated a challenging tie with Paris Saint-Germain in the semis, winning both legs 1-0, Dortmund return to Wembley Stadium – the scene of their 2012/13 final defeat to Klassiker rivals Bayern. For the German side it’s only a third Champions League final appearance, with their sole triumph coming back in 1997.
Meanwhile, Champions League finals are second nature to Real Madrid. They have accumulated 14 titles in the competition over the years – seven more than any other side – and have the chance to add another trophy to their bulging cabinet after their dramatic Joselu-inspired comeback against Bayern in the semis.
The two sides have plenty of history in this competition too. There have been 14 clashes in the Champions League since 1998, with Madrid boasting the slightly better record in this fixture. It’s a battle that usually guarantees goals, even if elite finals don’t have the same guarantee.
Here is 90min’s guide to Borussia Dortmund vs Real Madrid.
Borussia Dortmund vs Real Madrid H2H record (Last Five Games)
Current form (all competitions)
|
Borussia Dortmund |
Real Madrid |
|---|---|
|
Borussia Dortmund 4-0 Darmstadt – 18/05/24 |
Real Madrid 0-0 Real Betis – 25/05/24 |
|
Mainz 3-0 Borussia Dortmund – 11/05/24 |
Villarreal 4-4 Real Madrid – 19/05/24 |
|
PSG 0-1 Borussia Dortmund – 07/05/24 |
Real Madrid 5-0 Alaves – 14/05/24 |
|
Borussia Dortmund 5-1 Augsburg – 04/05/24 |
Granada 0-4 Real Madrid – 11/05/24 |
|
Borussia Dortmund 1-0 PSG – 01/05/24 |
Real Madrid 2-1 Bayern Munch – 08/05/24 |
|
Country |
TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
|
United Kingdom |
TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports Ultimate, discovery+, discovery+ App |
|
United States |
Paramount+, TUDN.com, Univision NOW, TUDN App, ViX, CBS, TUDN USA, Univision, UniMas |
|
Canada |
DAZN |
While all of Edin Terzic’s key stars are fit and firing ahead of the showpiece event, the Dortmund boss still has to contend with a few injury woes. One of those is left-back Ramy Bensebaini who is out with a knee issue, while young Julien Duranville is also missing.
Terzic is expected to go with an incredibly similar team to the one that beat PSG in the second leg of the semi-final, with Marco Reus potentially getting a run out in his final game for the club after 12 years of service.
Niclas Fullkrug should lead the line after impressive displays in the semis, while Julian Brandt, Karim Adeyemi and Jadon Sancho are likely to feature behind the centre forward.
Borussia Dortmund predicted lineup vs Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Kobel; Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Maatsen; Can, Sabitzer; Sancho, Brandt, Adeyemi; Fullkrug.
Madrid are without only two outfield players for their visit to London, one of which is long-term absentee David Alaba. He continues to recover from an anterior cruciate ligament injury and is joined in the treatment room by midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, who is sidelined with a foot issue.
Thibaut Courtois is set to return to the starting lineup for the big game after Andriy Lunin lost his battle to recover from flu in time. Toni Kroos will also start in what will be his final match at club level.
Real Madrid predicted lineup vs Borussia Dortmund (4-3-1-2): Courtois; Carvajal, Rudiger, Nacho, Mendy; Camavinga, Kroos, Valverde; Bellingham; Rodrygo, Vinicius.
Dortmund most certainly head into the final as underdogs after a fifth-placed Bundesliga finish, but any team facing Madrid in Europe generally get handed the same tag. Terzic’s side have shown the ability to spring a surprise this season, navigating the ‚group of death‘ and conquering Atletico Madrid and PSG in the knockout rounds.
However, it’s almost impossible to bet against Madrid in this competition. No matter the opponent, they always seem to find a way to claim victory, even if they have to grasp it from the clutches of defeat.
With a superior squad and a La Liga title under their belt, Los Blancos should claim a 15th European Cup this weekend.