Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid lock horns at the Wembley stadium in London on June 1 for European club football’s biggest prize, the UEFA Champions League.
With both teams now just one more step away from glory, Soccernet.football has taken a ride down memory lane to look at how they navigated their way through the competition.
Borussia Dortmund
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Dortmund struggled for consistency in the Bundesliga where they eventually finished fifth but enjoyed different fortunes on the European scene. Here’s how they reached the 2023/2024 UCL final.
They came out on top of a highly competitive group which consisted of Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and Newcastle United before producing spectacular performances in the knockout stages to book their spot at Wembley.
BVB endured a shaky start to their UCL campaign after suffering a 2-0 defeat in their first group game against Paris Saint-Germain and then playing out a goalless draw with AC Milan in the second.
Dortmund’s first of three consecutive wins came against Newcastle, with Felix Nmecha’s goal securing the victory. After which they defeated Newcastle again on home turf, with goals from Niclas Fullkrug and Julian Brandt, moving them to the top of the group.
In their second match against Milan at the San Siro, a Marco Reus penalty in the first half and second-half goals from Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and Karim Adeyemi led to a 3-1 win, following Samuel Chukwueze’s equalizer.
Those three points ensured the German side’s progression to the knockout stages, but first place was still undecided when they faced PSG in the final group game.
The pressure was greater on Les Parisiens to get a result, but it was Adeyemi who scored first before Warren Zaire-Emery equalized for the French side.
PSV Eindhoven, the 2023/24 Eredivisie champions, were tough opponents in the last 16, managing a draw against Dortmund in the first leg. Donyell Malen scored first for Dortmund before Luuk de Jong equalized with a penalty for PSV.
In the second leg, Jadon Sancho netted an early goal, and then turned provider as Marco Reus added a late second, ensuring Dortmund’s 3-1 aggregate victory.
In the quarter-finals, BVB faced Atletico Madrid and suffered a 2-1 defeat in Spain, with early goals from Rodrigo De Paul and Samuel Lino before Sebastien Haller pulled one back for Dortmund.
In the return leg at Signal Iduna Park, they breached Atletico’s typically strong defense with very good goals from Julian Brandt and Ian Maatsen.
Despite an own goal by Mats Hummels and a strike from Angel Correa putting Atletico temporarily ahead, Fullkrug’s header and Sabitzer’s long-range shot clinched a 5-4 aggregate victory for the German side, advancing them to the semi-finals.
Dortmund faced PSG again in the semifinals, where they achieved two 1-0 victories to progress to the final. Niclas Fullkrug scored with a brilliant finish in the first leg, and Mats Hummels’ header from a Julian Brandt corner secured the win in the second leg.
Despite early pressure and PSG hitting the woodwork three times, Dortmund’s solid defense and effective counter-attacks were enough to keep the Ligue 1 champions at bay, ending Mbappe’s hopes of winning a European title before his departure from the French capital.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid are eyeing a record-extending 15th Champions League triumph after winning the La Liga title for the 36th time in their history. Here’s how they reached the 2023/2024 UCL final.
Carlo Ancelloti’s Real were immaculate in the group stage, winning all six of their matches against the likes of Napoli, Braga and Union Berlin in group C.
Real Madrid mega-signing Jude Bellingham frequently scored crucial goals during his debut campaign with the Spanish giants, including a 93rd-minute winner against Union Berlin in their Champions League Group C opener.
Madrid faced Italian champions Napoli, securing a 3-2 away win with goals from Vinicius Junior, Bellingham, and an own goal by Alex Meret. Against Braga, Rodrygo and Bellingham scored in a 2-1 win, followed by a routine victory in the return match, securing their knockout stage qualification.
Despite a challenging game against Napoli, late goals from Nico Paz and Joselu ensured a 4-2 win. Madrid ended the group stage with a 3-2 win over Berlin, with Joselu scoring twice and Dani Ceballos securing the victory.
RB Leipzig made a strong effort in their last-16 tie, but eventually lost 2-1 on aggregate at the Bernabeu. Diaz’s stunning goal secured a crucial 1-0 away victory, but the 14-time winners faced tense moments during the home leg.
Vinicius seemed to seal the tie with a goal in the 65th minute, however, Willi Orban’s header soon after set up a nervy finish. Despite Leipzig’s efforts, Madrid held on to their 2-1 aggregate lead and progressed to the next round.
While both Madrid and their opponents would have preferred different matchups, facing reigning champions Manchester City in the quarter-finals provided an exciting spectacle for the neutrals.
The first leg saw six remarkable goals, with players like Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, Josko Gvardiol, Rodrygo and Federico Valverde among the players who got on the score sheet.
In a tightly contested return leg at the Etihad Stadium, Madrid held the advantage thanks to Rodrygo’s 12th minute strike but Kevin De Bruyne’s late goal forced extra time and penalties where Los Blancos emerged victorious.
Real Madrid squared up against dethroned Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in the semifinals. Once again, the first leg ended in a draw, with Vinicius scoring twice for Madrid.
The Brazilian first put Los Blancos ahead and then equalized after Leroy Sane and Harry Kane had given the Bundesliga giants a brief lead with two goals in five minutes.
In the second leg back in Madrid, Alphonso Davies scored in the 68th minute, seemingly giving the Bavarians some hope of turning their season around in the final at Wembley.
However, Madrid’s super-sub Joselu produced some classic Madrid magic with two late goals, propelling Ancelotti’s team to a 4-3 aggregate lead and sparking jubilant scenes at the Bernabeu after nine minutes of second-half stoppage time.
