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| Jadon Sancho hopes to rewrite history on Saturday but he must go through Jude Bellingham and the Real Madrid superstars to achieve his dreams. (Photo credit: GOAL) |
It is the grand finale of the European football season, the day of the lives of every footballer on both sides of the divide; it is the Champions League final!
It's a tale of the tournament gods and the unheralded underdogs, the Whites of Real Madrid, up against the Black and Yellow Wall in a game that has no respect for pedigree or form. They all prayed for a day like this, and Wembley is waiting for a football masterclass.
Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzec has promised that his side didn’t work so hard to get to Wembley only to become spectators for Real Madrid in the final. He insists his side is ready to upset the odds by winning the Champions League.
The German side already surprised many on their way to the top, qualifying in a group with PSG, AC Milan, and Newcastle United before dumping the duo of Atletico Madrid and PSG in the knockout stages to advance to the final of the tournament.
It wasn’t easy for Real Madrid, either. After navigating the group stages, they beat Liepzig, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich in close contests to book their place in the final against the Germans. They’re the favourites in the final, but it won’t be as easy as many pundits think it will be.
"We are ready to compete at the highest level," Terzic said. "Maybe if you play 10 times against Real Madrid, it will be very difficult." If you play it 34 times, it's impossible. But if you break it down to one game and a final, everything is possible.
"It is evident that they have a role as favorites." We don't care. We weren't favorites against Atletico or Paris, either. "You don't play a final; you win a final, and that is our clear goal," he added. "We're happy to be here, but we have to win at Wembley Stadium against Real Madrid to hold that trophy in our hands."
BVB finished fifth in the Bundesliga, and not many would expect them to be in the final of the Champions League. The underdog story is one you want to avoid on a day like this. Real Madrid must be wary of their opponents.
It is the final hurray for the likes of Toni Kroos and Marco Reus, both of whom are bowing out after the game, with Luka Modric insisting he still has a year or more left in him. Vinicius Jr., Jude Bellingham, and Rodrygo are the lads many expect to lead the headlines but don’t write off the Black and Yellow armies.