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The season is finally over, and what an emotional rollercoaster that last game against Betis was! Toni Kroos is truly a Real Madrid legend in every sense of the word. I’m really worried about what our build-up play will look like next season without him. Carlo Ancelotti has been able to sustain this so-called disorganized system because Kroos is the organizer.
But now, turning to the Champions League final next Saturday… we’re the heavy favorites. But is it justified? Dortmund currently sits 5th in the Bundesliga with 7 defeats this season. Yet, we’ve seen teams performing poorly in the league do well in Europe.
Remember the 1999/2000 season? Real Madrid, with legends like Clarence Seedorf, Guti, Steve McManaman, Roberto Carlos, and Raul, finished 5th in La Liga but won the Champions League against Valencia 3-0 in Paris.
Quick side note: Did you know that Kroos won his first Champions League trophy with Bayern Munich against Dortmund in Wembley, with an 89th-minute winner by Arjen Robben?
In terms of personnel for this match, Aurélien Tchouaméni is ruled out, which will undoubtedly bring Camavinga into the starting lineup. Expect a lot of defensive responsibility on both Bellingham and Valverde. The big news is that Courtois will start, addressing a squad deficiency in dealing with corner kicks. Every corner against us this season has looked like a penalty, especially evident when we conceded against Barca in El Clásico.
This game can be won or lost by a mistake, and no one knows this better than Carlo Ancelotti. The last time a Champions League final had more than 3 goals was in 2018 when we defeated Liverpool, thanks to Bale’s double off the bench. Recent finals have all ended 1-0:
Manchester City 1 - Inter Milan 0 (2023)
Real Madrid 1 - Liverpool 0 (2022)
Chelsea 1 - City 0 (2021)
Bayern Munich 1 - PSG 0 (2020)
This indicates a pattern of winning finals by a fine margin. Knowing Carlo, we’ll likely take a pragmatic approach to minimize risks. Dortmund has kept 6 clean sheets this Champions League campaign, finishing 1st in the group of death and conceding only 4 goals. Their journey to the final, including beating Atletico Madrid and PSG, shows their defensive prowess.
Quick side note: Dortmund beat Bayern 2-0 in their last encounter. Few teams manage a clean sheet against Bayern, a feat that deserves applause.
We need to be cautious. Teams that sit deep and counter, like Atletico Madrid, have troubled us this season. We struggled without a number 9 to break them down.
Styles make fights. Remember when Pacquiao, in his prime, was knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez, a smaller fighter with perfect timing? Similarly, while I’m not saying Dortmund will walk all over us, we need to be vigilant. Finals often end with a 1-goal margin, and an early mistake could favor them. Leipzig gave us a scare this season, so we can’t underestimate any opponent.
Players like Adeyemi, Sancho, Brandt, and Reus can be lethal on their day. I expect us to have more possession, so the key will be strong transitions. If Carvajal and Mendy perform well, I’m confident we can get the job done in London.
Let me know what you guys think. Are you confident we’ll send off Kroos to retirement in the right way? Will we secure our 15th Champions League title?
Thank you for watching. Hala Madrid! 🏆⚽
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