UEFA’s premier event has approached its final frontier as Borussia Dortmund (BVB) take on Real Madrid CF in the final of the Champions League 2023–24 season tomorrow, i.e., June 2 at 12:30 AM IST at Wembley Stadium.
Real Madrid are projected to begin as favourites in their quest for a record-breaking 15th title, while Dortmund defied the odds to reach this level.
Dortmund have had a phenomenal season in this year’s UEFA Champions League as they emerged from the group of death and advanced to another UCL final at Wembley. They fell to Bayern Munich last time and now seek to beat the Spanish heavyweights at England’s iconic stadium. Their defensive effort in the semi-finals was meticulous, as they shut out the French champions, Paris Saint-Germain, keeping clean sheets in both legs.
Real Madrid won their 36th LALIGA championship with games to spare, and Carlo Ancelotti’s side has been fearsome this season. Los Blancos have lost only once in LALIGA this season, on September 24 against Atlético de Madrid, and are undefeated in 25 games in every competition.
Ancelotti’s club is yet to lose in this season’s Champions League, advancing from the group stage with an unbeaten streak of six victories from six games before surviving a difficult knockout run against RB Leipzig, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich without losing.
Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham have the most points in all events, with 23 each, although Joselu, Rodrygo, and Brahim Diaz have provided valuable support. Vinicius has been productive in this competition, with five goals and four assists, and he has directly contributed to more goals than any other player in the UCL over the last three seasons.
Real Madrid are participating in their record-extending 18th final, having won 14 of their previous 17 appearances. Their previous defeat in the final was 43 years ago, and they have won eight consecutive finals since falling to Liverpool Football Club (LFC) in 1981.
In the prestigious European competition, the sides locked horns on 14 occasions with Los Blancos winning six, Dortmund emerging victorious on three occasions, and five stalemates.
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