Real Madrid have no match when it comes to conquering Europe and they will get another next weekend when the Los Blancos head to London to face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final.
Madrid have won the UCL/European Cup an astounding 14 times and this will be their 18th final appearance. Also, this is the 15th competitive meeting between these two European giants. Real Madrid have already knocked out Manchester City, RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich and with the firepower they have, beating BVB should not be a major ask for Carlo Ancelotti’s team.
The Los Blancos have lost just one match in this calendar year and that came way back in January when they lost 4-2 to Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey.
The last time these two sides met was back in the 2017-18 season and the Spanish side won with an aggregate of 6-3. Unless there is a major catastrophe, Madrid should be winning at the Wembley Stadium as well.
Real Madrid’s team news and injuries for the final:
Aurelien Tchouameni has missed several training sessions due to a foot injury and the midfielder along with David Alaba are confirmed absentees for the Champions League final.
Tchouameni’s absence should not be a problem for the Real Madrid manager because Camavinga and Toni Kroos will pair up in central midfield with Bellingham and Valverde playing in the more advanced roles. The manager also has Luka Modric who can come up and take control of the midfield, if needed.
The UCL final will be Kroos’ final game for Real Madrid and if the German can pull the strings just like he did against Bayern Munich then it will be smooth sailing for the La Liga side.
Nacho and Antonio Rudiger paired up in central defence for the 2-1 win over Bayern but it will be interesting to see if Ancelotti opts to use Eder Militao now that the Brazilian is back to full fitness.
However, the major selection issue for the Madrid manager will be choosing his No. 1 because Thibaut Courtois is back and at the same time, Andry Lunin is out with a fever.
Lunin has been stellar this season and even though he will be fit by the time Real Madrid head to Wembley his starting position is far from guaranteed.
“It’s a very tough decision because both deserve to play in the final. Lunin has had a fantastic season, and although he has a fever today, he’ll recover by Saturday,” said coach Carlo Ancelotti in the press conference.
“And Courtois, because he’s back from his injury and is the best goalkeeper in the world. I enjoy this debate, so this week, when I have nothing to do, I like listening to it.”
Lunin has hardly put a foot wrong during his 31 appearances this season and it will be really harsh on Carlo’s part to drop him to the bench. However, with Courtois back in action, we think the manager will want his senior pro on the pitch.
In attack, Real Madrid have limited options and it will once again be Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo who will play up front but after Joselu’s heroics vs Bayern, the Los Blancos at least have an in-form striker on the bench.
Real Madrid predicted line up vs Borussia Dortmund:
Predicted Starting XI(4-2-2-2): Courtois/Lunin; Nacho/Militao, Rudiger, Mendy, Carvajal; Kroos, Camavinga, Valverde, Bellingham; Vini Jr., Rodrygo.
