UEFA Champions League final will be a true David vs. Goliath matchup between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid

The UEFA Champions League final is finally here! I’m Jonathan Johnson, ahead of probably the biggest football game on the calendar, with Real Madrid set to face plucky underdogs Borussia Dortmund at Wembley on Saturday. If that wasn’t enough for you, Emma Hayes also makes her USWNT debut in Colorado with a friendly against South Korea kicking off June camp.

Football correction

All times US/East

Saturday, June 1st
UCL Final: Borussia Dortmund x Real Madrid, 3pm Paramount+
Friendly: USWNT x South Korea WNT, 5pm TNT
MLS: Inter Miami x St. Louis City SC, 7:30 pm MLS Season Pass

Sunday, June 2
Serie A: Atalanta x Fiorentina, 12pm Paramount+
USL: Monterey Bay FC vs New Mexico United, 7pm CBS Sports Golazo Network

The hotline

Real Madrid seek 15th UCL title in London

Real Madrid already have the best record of all time in the UEFA Champions League, with 14 titles, and have the opportunity, on Saturday, to increase that record to 15, against Borussia Dortmund, at Wembley. Carlo Ancelotti’s men are almost exclusive owners when it comes to football’s most coveted titles, and the Italian tactician himself could win a fifth personal UCL title as head coach and third with Los Blancos following his triumphs in 2014 and 2022.

Facing unexpected finalists BVB, Real are the overwhelming favorites to succeed and celebrate another continental crown before the expected announcement of French star Kylian Mbappe’s arrival on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain this summer. Jude Bellingham faces his former club and the England international will be hoping to make a difference in London ahead of UEFA Euro 2024, which could see him star for the Three Lions as one of the pre-tournament favorites to win alongside Mbappe. France.

Toni Kroos is gearing up for a thrilling final game, not just with Real but also in club football, with his involvement with Germany at home this summer ending in his retirement from the game after a brilliant career – regardless of Saturday’s result. . Vini Jr. has also been here and won a Champions League final when the Spanish giants defeated Liverpool in Paris which was no classic encounter for Real’s record 14th victory.

• Cat: “Real Madrid’s last Champions League triumph was perhaps their dullest yet, considering they managed just three shots and scored with their only attempted goal. That said, Thibaut Courtois impressed at the Stade de France by making nine saves, while Liverpool scored 23 shots, winning the Man of the Match award in the process. It was also a notable night for Vinicius Junior, who scored the only goal of the game and won his first Champions League title in the process.

Sponsored by Paramount+

Midfield Link Game

BVB hopes to upset the odds

Real’s opponents on Saturday are not in London to make up the numbers, as Borussia Dortmund eliminated some big names this edition, including Mbappe’s PSG in the semi-finals. Although BVB finished fifth in the Bundesliga compared to Real’s last La Liga triumph, many people forget that the Germans have already won this competition once in 1997 and have a proud history of honor in the Champions League, where Edin Terzic and his players will do their best. much better to defend.

One of Dortmund’s stars in their incredible run to the final was goalkeeper Gregor Kobel and the Swiss international will be looking to build on his sensational display against PSG over two legs, which somehow produced two clean sheets. The 26-year-old leads all goalkeepers with 42 saves and six clean sheets, as well as an impressive 7.09 goals prevented in UCL games – something Real’s 2022 hero Thibaut Courtois would be proud of.

CBS Sports Golazo Network Reached Kobel ahead of this weekend’s mega clash and was optimistic about BVB’s chances of causing another upset.

• Kobel: “We seem to feel comfortable in this situation [as underdogs] but I think it doesn’t really matter to us as a team whether we are considered underdogs or not. We have built a lot of confidence throughout this Champions League campaign. We beat a lot of good teams and showed that we can beat all the opponents we face and with this confidence we approach Saturday’s game as well.”

Dortmund beating Real here would certainly be one of the most surprising final results ever, but it will require more than just Kobel’s excellence. Also important was veteran defender Mats Hummels in one of the best forms of his career despite being overlooked for UEFA Euro 2024 by hosts Germany, while unconventional striker Niclas Fullkrug scored some important goals this campaign, including in the first leg against PSG, before Hummels finishes the job at the Parc des Princes and will need to be a nuisance for Real’s Antonio Rudiger, who will be an international team-mate this summer at home, along with the retiring Kroos.

Top UCL Stories

Ranking of the 10 best Real Galacticos: David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, Jude Bellingham, Luis Figo and Sergio Ramos all features.

UCL Superlatives: Experience of Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe and Manchester United mixed fortunes in the 2023-24 edition.

Ranking UCL’s most unlikely winners: Could Chelsea and Liverpool be accompanied by Dortmund this weekend?

Could USMNT star Gio Reyna win a UCL medal if Dortmund beat Real? Nottingham Forest’s creditor was at BVB during this period.

Santiago Bernabeu value for Real: As Spanish giants extract maximum value from their stadium to remain among the elite.

Final picks from UCL experts: Dortmund x Real through the eyes of our experts ahead of Saturday’s clash.

Wembley UCL History: London is not a new destination for the Champions League final ahead of Real x Dortmund.

Lenny Kravitz: O pre-match entertainment ahead of Real v Dortmund in the UCL final it promises to be top quality.

UCL Final Fundamentals: We got you for TV Details, tag, the referee, cash prize, streaming, schedules and more.

Get ready with the Golazo Network