Borussia Dortmund have one major advantage over Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League- an extra week of rest. La Liga wrapped up their season this weekend while the Bundesliga concluded last weekend. Is that going to be enough to put them over the top and defy the odds?
Hard to say because this is a Real Madrid side that is overloaded with Galacticos, and a ton of depth behind/below the stellar starters.
UCL Final FYIs
Kickoff: Sat. June 1, 8pm, Wembley Stadium, London, UK
Team News: Real Madrid Borussia Dortmund
Starting XI Predictions: Real Madrid Borussia Dortmund
90 Min Probability: Real Madrid 59% Extra Time 22% Borussia Dortmund 19%
Fun Fact: Dortmund has one Champions League title in its history, besting Juventus in 1997 in Munich.
Edin Terzic just doesn’t have as much to work with as Carlo Ancelotti, but they do have grit and determination on their side. And Jadon Sancho seems like a new man again. Back with BVB on loan, and confirmed exiting from Manchester United this summer, perhaps he comes back to Dortmund on a permanent move?
It might be exactly what the English winger needs to get his career back on track.
Borussia Dortmund Starting XI Prediction vs Real Madrid (UCL Final)
Gregor Kobel; Julian Ryerson, Mats Hummels, Nico Schlotterbeck, Ian Maatsen; Marcel Sabitzer, Emre Can; Jadon Sancho, Julian Brandt, Karim Adeyemi; Niclas Füllkrug
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.