The end of the 2023/24 campaign is drawing ever closer as Saturday’s Champions League final will bring the curtain down and another enthralling season of European football.
Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid will both head to Wembley this weekend to chance their arm at the ultimate prize in club football, with storylines on both sides making this a seriously exciting prospect.
With the 2024 final being the last game of the Champions League as we know it, with format changes coming into place next season, this truly marks the end of a brilliant era of Champions League football.
We preview the 2024 Champions League final below.
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Reus looking to Marc end of an era
Borussia Dortmund have been the underdog story of this season’s Champions League after many expected them to fall at the first hurdle when they were drawn in the group of death with Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and Newcastle. Edin Terzić’s side finished atop Group F with 11 points and haven’t looked back since.
After drawing PSV Eindhoven in the round of 16 Dortmund were fancied to reach the quarter-finals and they did so in convincing fashion, with goals from Donyell Malen, Jadon Sancho and Marco Reus seeing them through with an aggregate scoreline of 3-1.
The quarter-final looked a tougher task after they were drawn against Diego Simeone’s Atlético Madrid, even more so after they were defeated 2-1 in the first leg, with a consolation goal from Sébastien Haller their only saving grace.
As has been the case many times over the years, a return leg at the Signal Iduna Park was just what the German side needed, as they ran out 4-2 winners (5-3 on aggregate), with four different names on the scoresheet, marking eight goals from eight different players in the knockout stages.
Things didn’t look any easier in the semis as they faced off against PSG, against whom they’d drawn and lost to in the group stages. Nonetheless Dortmund’s resilience showed again as they kept the Parisians’ attacking talent at bay for all 180 minutes, running out 2-0 winners via goals from Niclas Füllkrug and Mats Hummels.
Once again Dortmund will head to Wembley as the underdogs, with their odds of 4/1 not suggesting that they’re without hope. Terzić will likely deploy a solid defensive strategy, with all eyes on the big man up top, Niclas Füllkrug, to find the back of the net again and the German talisman is a 14/5 chance to do so.
The fairytale story lies with Marco Reus, who spent his entire youth at Dortmund before leaving for Borussia Mönchengladbach, then rejoining all the way back in 2012. After many heartbreaks, including the Champions League final at Wembley in 2013, a goal in a Dortmund victory would be just about the best outcome the Dortmund icon could hope for and he’s 24/5 to net anytime.
Real to go all out for number 15
In somewhat presumptuous fashion, the Real Madrid players unveiled shirts reading A Por La 15 after their semi-final victory over Bayern Munich, but who can blame them given their record in this competition?
As per usual, Madrid breezed through the group stage winning all six of their games, netting 16 goals in the process. Despite making slightly harder work of a Round of 16 tie against RB Leipzig than expected, Madrid would eventually progress as 2-1 victors, with Brahim Díaz and Vinicius Junior to thank.
The quarter-final draw was not so kind to Carlo Ancelotti’s side as they were pitted against last year’s winners and the most feared team in the competition, Manchester City. Having been ripped to shreds by Pep Guardiola’s side in last year’s semi-finals, Madrid had a point to prove and they did just that. After a thrilling first leg which left the tie in the balance at 3-3, a penalty shootout would decide the second leg and it was Los Blancos who held their nerve.
Another tough tie followed as they faced a Bayern Munich side fired up by letting their chokehold on the Bundesliga slip for the first time since 2012. A 2-2 draw in the first leg meant Madrid took confidence back to the Santiago Bernabau. With Madrid looking down and out as Bayern led at the 87-minute mark, up stepped former Stoke City and Newcastle United flop Joselu who netted two goals in three minutes to send his side through to their 18th Champions League final.
With 14 titles to their name, it is no surprise to see Madrid head to Wembley as 13/20 favourites to lift a 15th. Jude Bellingham has been a revelation since taking over the iconic number five shirt and it would be some story if the Englishman were to land his first major trophy back on home soil. There is no doubt Bellingham will have his say on proceedings and Madrid’s top scorer is 23/20 to find the back of the net again, but don’t count out Joselu if the game is in the balance late on, at 9/2 to score the final goal of the game.
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