The biggest prize in European club football is up for grabs this Saturday, as Wembley hosts the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League final.
Under the iconic arch in England’s capital, 14-time champions Real Madrid will battle it out with underdogs Borussia Dortmund for the trophy.
In this preview, Forebet discusses all the key stats and trends ahead of Saturday’s showdown. Read on to find out what our predictive analytics model forecasts.
Real Madrid have enjoyed another hugely impressive season, clinching the La Liga title after suffering a solitary loss in 38 domestic matches.
In the Champions League, Los Blancos have yet to taste defeat in 2023-24, winning all six group games before battling through the knockout phase to reach the final.
After dispatching RB Leipzig in the round of 16, Carlo Ancelotti’s side defeated Manchester City on penalties before claiming a 4-3 aggregate win over Bayern Munich in the semi-finals.
Having lost just two of their previous 24 matches in the Champions League, Real Madrid will be confident of adding another trophy to their collection.
On the flip side, Borussia Dortmund are the surprise package of this season’s competition, having upset the odds on multiple occasions to reach the final.
After finishing above PSG, AC Milan and Newcastle in Group F, BVB knocked out PSV Eindhoven in the last 16 before securing a dramatic 5-4 aggregate triumph over Atletico Madrid.
In the semi-finals, Borussia Dortmund claimed a couple of 1-0 victories over PSG, despite facing a barrage of 44 shots across the two legs.
Although Dortmund finished down in fifth place in the final Bundesliga standings, they will be hopeful of upsetting the odds once again this weekend.
Head-to-head: Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund have faced each other 10 times in the Champions League since 2012, with the Spaniards winning four and the Germans winning three.
It is worth noting that eight of the 10 previous meetings produced over 2.5 goals, with six of those encounters dishing up over 3.5 goals.
Team news: Real Madrid’s David Alaba will miss the final as he continues to recover from a cruciate ligament tear. Aurelien Tchouameni is a doubt due to a foot injury.
Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund’s injury list features Julien Duranville, Ramy Bensebaini and Abdoulaye Kamara. Saturday’s clash will be Marco Reus’ final game for the club.
If the previous meetings between Los Blancos and BVB are anything to go by, Saturday’s showdown will be an entertaining affair with goals at both ends.
Forebet predicts that Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund will serve up a high-scoring draw, with both teams netting over 1.5 goals.
Extra time and/or penalties will likely be required to decide the winner.