Champions League Final: Dortmund aim for upset against Real Madrid

Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic is confident his team can pull off a shock victory against Real Madrid final in Saturday’s UEFA Champions League final at Wembley Stadium.

The Spanish giants are the heavy favourites, aiming for a record 15th Champions League title and their sixth in the last 11 seasons. Dortmund, however, have defied the odds to reach this stage.

Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid have been dominant this season, losing just twice in 54 games across all competitions. They secured the La Liga title by a 10-point margin and convincingly defeated Barcelona 4-1 to win the Spanish Super Cup.

Ancelotti emphasized the significance of the final, calling it the “biggest game of any season” in the Champions League. Real Madrid’s path to the final included eliminating defending champions Manchester City in the quarter-finals and overcoming Bayern Munich in the semi-finals.

“We never stop believing, no matter the circumstances,” said Luka Modric. Along with Nacho, Dani Carvajal, and Toni Kroos—who is set for his final match—Modric can win the European Cup for a record-equalling sixth time as a player.

“We always believe, keep believing, keep pushing, fighting until the end. Many people say there is luck, but when it happens so many times, I think it’s not just luck.”

Terzic’s Dortmund have risen to the occasion on the Champions League stage, reaching the final for the third time in their history and the first since their loss to Bayern Munich at Wembley 11 years ago.

They topped a challenging group featuring Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, and Newcastle. Dortmund then overcame PSV Eindhoven and Atletico Madrid before delivering a heroic defensive performance to knock out PSG in the semi-finals.

“They are the favourites, but we don’t care. We haven’t been the favourites against Atletico or PSG,” said Terzic.

“But if we are brave and not here to watch Real Madrid lift the trophy, if we are here to give them a game, then we have a chance.”

Dortmund last won the Champions League in 1997. Despite being allocated just 30,000 tickets, over 100,000 fans of the German giants are estimated to have travelled to London for the final.