Tonight, the stage is set for a historic clash at Wembley Stadium as Borussia Dortmund take on Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League final. Kick-off is at 8 pm UK time, and for Dortmund, it’s a chance to rewrite their recent record against the Spanish giants.
This is the 15th meeting between these two sides in European competition, all of which have come in the Champions League. In fact, Real Madrid are the team Dortmund have faced most often in the competition (14 times). However, the record isn’t pretty for the German side. They’ve only managed three wins against Los Blancos (five draws and six losses). Their win percentage against Real Madrid (21%) is their second-lowest against any team they’ve faced at least five times in the Champions League.
The last time these two teams met was in the 2017-18 group stage, and both victories went to Real Madrid. Interestingly, neither side has ever managed to win three consecutive games in this particular fixture.
Experience, however, heavily favors Real Madrid. This is their 18th appearance in a European Cup/Champions League final, extending their record as the team with the most appearances in the final. Even more impressive is their win record. They’ve lifted the trophy a staggering 14 times, and a win tonight would see them with more than double the European Cup titles of any other team (AC Milan, with 7).
For Borussia Dortmund, this is just their third Champions League final. They won their first in 1996-97 but fell short in 2012-13. Their qualification for the final this year marks the first time since 2002 that a Champions League final will feature German and Spanish opposition (Real Madrid defeated Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 that year).
Can Dortmund overcome history and pull off an upset? Or will Real Madrid add another chapter to their already legendary Champions League story? All eyes are on Wembley tonight for what promises to be a thrilling encounter.
