BORUSSIA DORTMUND have been Champions League shock troops this season and they'll be desperate to spring one last surprise when they take on mighty Real Madrid at Wembley in the final.
The Germans were rank outsiders when the competition began, particularly after being drawn in a Group of Death alongside Paris St-Germain, AC Milan and Newcastle.
Even after Edin Terzic's side topped that nightmare section, they were as big as 33/1 to lift the trophy when the knockout stage began. But the Bundesliga side blazed a trail to the semi-finals by knocking out PSV Eindhoven and Atletico Madrid.
They were written off once again when they faced PSG in the semis but Borussia Dortmund won 1-0 home and away to leave fans dreaming of their first Champions League triumph since 1997.
The only problem is they now face a Real Madrid side who have lifted the European Cup a record 14 times and have yet to taste defeat in the competition this season.
Carlo Ancelotti's men knocked out favourites and holders Manchester City in the quarter-finals then edged out Bayern Munich in the semis thanks to a late double from super sub Joselu.
Real Madrid know what it takes to get the job done on the biggest stage and they're heavy favourites to get their hands on Europe's biggest prize once more.
How the bookies view it: Germans written off
Borussia Dortmund are outsiders once more for the final, with Bet365 pricing them 5/2 to lift the trophy and 15/4 for a win in 90 minutes. Real Madrid are just 3/10 to come out on top and 13/20 to finish the job in normal time. The draw at 90 minutes pays 16/5.
Recent head to head: Spirit of 2013 can lift Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund memorably beat Real Madrid in the 2013 semis, with Robert Lewandowski scoring four times in the first leg. But they've only won once in their last six meetings with Real Madrid and the Spanish giants have gone four unbeaten in this fixture.
Most recent H2H results:
- 6/12/2017 (Champions League group stages) – Real Madrid 3-2 Dortmund
- 26/09/2017 (Champions League group stages) – Dortmund 1-3 Real Madrid
- 07/12/2016 (Champions League group stages) – Real Madrid 2-2 Dortmund
- 27/09/2016 (Champions League group stages) – Dortmund 2-2 Real Madrid
- 08/04/2014 (Champions League quarter-finals) – Dortmund 2-0 Real Madrid
- 02/04/2014 (Champions League quarter-finals) – Real Madrid 3-0 Dortmund
- 30/04/2013 (Champions League semi-finals) – Real Madrid 2-0 Dortmund
- 24/04/2013 (Champions League semi-finals) – Dortmund 4-1 Real Madrid
Players to watch: Vinicius Junior a man for the big stage
When Real Madrid won the 2022 final against Liverpool it was Vinicius Junior who grabbed the only goal. The Brazilian delivered for me against Manchester City so I fancy him for anytime scorer at 6/4 here.
Niclas Fullkrug was a great focal point for Borussia Dortmund in the semi-final and also netted in the first leg. The striker is a little overpriced at 15/4 for another goal in the final. He's also a whopping 18/1 to score with a header.
Probable line-ups
Both managers are pretty much at full strength with only David Alaba certain to miss out for Real Madrid. There's a doubt over Aurelien Tchouameni while Ancelotti has to decide if keeper Thibaut Courtois is ready after only just returning from injury.
Dortmund: Kobel; Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Maatsen; Can, Sabitzer; Adeyemi, Brandt, Sancho; Füllkrug
Real Madrid: Courtois; Carvajal, Nacho, Rüdiger, Mendy; Valverde, Kroos, Camavinga; Bellingham; Rodrygo, Vinícius Júnior
Anything else catch the eye?
Champions League Finals are often disappointing and the last four showpieces have ended in 1-0 scorelines. BTTS has failed to land in the last five so betting against that could pay off at evens while under 2.5 goals is 11/10.
Emre Can will be at the heart of the action in midfield and the veteran is usually good value for a card. He's 2/1 to go into the book for an 11th time this season.
Dortmund winger Karim Adeyimi is a flying machine so some stats bets catch the eye with him. He should be up against the uncompromising Dani Carvajal and the Real Madrid full-back is 5/4 to commit over 1.5 fouls.
This UEFA Champions League match between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid will be played on Jun 1, 2024 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Borussia Dortmund vs Real Madrid prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
