7.00pm
Good evening one and all! Thank you very much for joining us for one of the most anticipated events on the 2023-24 football calendar, the UEFA Champions League final.
Under the bright lights of Wembley Stadium, one-time winners Borussia Dortmund and 14-time winners Real Madrid are preparing to scrap it out for the biggest European bragging rights of them all.
While Edin Terzic's side put two past Paris Saint-Germain without reply in their semi-final ties, Los Blancos required one of their famous Champions League turnarounds to eliminate Bayern Munich and set up a date with Dortmund.
As kickoff approaches, time for a peek at the team news...
7.02pm
REAL MADRID STARTING XI: Courtois; Carvajal, Rudiger, Nacho, Mendy; Valverde, Camavinga, Kroos; Bellingham; Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior
SUBS: Lunin, Kepa, Militao, Alaba, Modric, Joselu, Vazquez, Tchouameni, Ceballos, Guler, Diaz, Garcia
7.04pm
BORUSSIA DORTMUND STARTING XI: Kobel; Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Maatsen; Can, Sabitzer; Sancho, Brandt, Adeyemi; Fullkrug
SUBS: Meyer, Lotka, Ozcan, Reus, Haller, Nmecha, Wolf, Malen, Sule, Moukoko, Watjen, Bynoe-Gittens
7.06pm
The elevens for both sides are, well, pretty much what was expected.
No start for Marco Reus in his 429th final game for Borussia Dortmund, but departing Real Madrid legend Toni Kroos is in.
7.08pm
© Reuters
One would not put it past him to make an impact off the bench, though; he has scored four goals against Real Madrid in the past, although Cristiano Ronaldo's seven in this head-to-head is unmatched.
7.10pm
Sticking with the Black and Yellow theme, this will be just the third Champions League final for BVB.
Their first ended in glory - a 3-1 win over Juventus in 1997 - but back in 2013, they were bested by Der Klassiker foes Bayern Munich. At Wembley.
Time to put things right?
7.12pm
I still remember Arjen Robben's scuffed winner trickling over the line and Robert Lewandowski's crestfallen expression like it was yesterday.
Reus is just one of two players from that 2012-13 Dortmund side still donning the yellow strip today, alongside one of the heroes of their run to today's final.
7.14pm
© Reuters
This man.
Scorer of the only goal in the second leg of their semi-final with Paris Saint-Germain, Mats Hummels also experienced Wembley heartbreak on that day but has been one of the competition's best players this season. Just 35 years young!
7.16pm
As well as Champions League glory, an individual feat is also on the line for Hummels, who has played every minute of Dortmund's UCL campaign so far.
The last triumphant player to do so was Ronaldo in 2017-18, while a defender has not completed every minute of a winning Champions League season since Liverpool's Sami Hyypia in 2004-05.
7.18pm
Another stat? Why not.
With Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham both in their respective XIs, this will be the first time in Champions League final history that two Englishman line up against each other for non-English teams.
Interested to see what sort of reception Bellingham gets from the Yellow Wall!
7.20pm
© Reuters
The ex-Dortmund man will be aiming to build on an incredible tally of 23 goals and 12 assists for Real in his debut season.
The man for the big occasion? One would assume so.
7.22pm
Let's take a deeper dive into that Real Madrid squad - a couple of surprises on the bench!
Both Aurelien Tchouameni and David Alaba are included despite being ruled out through injury - post-game celebrations (if Real win) probably a factor in that!
7.24pm
A thought or two will also be spared for knockout hero Andriy Lunin, who caught flu at the most inopportune time and is demoted to the bench for Thibaut Courtois.
Then again, that performance in the 2022 final...
7.26pm
Down the other end of the pitch, Joselu's incredible semi-final exploits versus Bayern Munich are not enough to earn him a start over Rodrygo or Vinicius Junior.
The latter is also out to equal a record set by a former Real Madrid (and Barcelona!) player tonight...
7.28pm
The Brazilian has already come up with five goals and four assists in Champions League action this term, after registering five and seven in 2022-23.
Only one man has ever contributed at least five goals and five assists in back-to-back Champions League campaigns - Luis Figo.
7.30pm
As well as his pursuit of that individual achievement, Vinicius will undoubtedly be pivotal to Real's chances of a 15th - yes, 15th - Champions League/European Cup title.
Furthermore, not since losing the 1981 final to Liverpool have Los Blancos come up short in the showpiece match, winning their last eight in a row. Omens.
7.32pm
Should Carlo Ancelotti's side come up trumps tonight, they will seal a 2023-24 treble, having also achieved La Liga and Supercopa de Espana stardom this season.
Only the Copa del Rey has eluded Real so far, and they are unbeaten in 25 since losing to city rivals Atletico Madrid in that competition in January.
7.34pm
Speaking of unbeaten runs, Real have never navigated a Champions League campaign without suffering a single defeat, but that could all change tonight.
The last Spanish side to achieve that were the 2005-06 Barcelona crop, but as an Arsenal fan, I prefer not to speak.
7.36pm
Quick ode to Jose Mourinho - on punditry duties tonight - there.
Anyway, want another slice of encouragement, Blancos fans?
Ancelotti's men have scored in every single one of their matches away from the Bernabeu this season. Apologies in advance for jinxing it.
7.38pm
While Real conquered La Liga this season, Dortmund could not capitalise on Bayern Munich's Bundesliga capitulation, only finishing fifth in the table.
However, thanks to Germany's terrific UEFA coefficient, they will play in the revamped 2024-25 Champions League no matter what happens tonight.
7.40pm
Terzic's side warmed up for this encounter in perfect fashion, by smashing SV Darmstadt 98 4-0 in their final Bundesliga game.
Of course, Reus was on target in his Signal Iduna Park farewell. He'll have the neutrals' backing tonight for sure.
7.42pm
With kickoff now less than 20 minutes away, let's bring up the quintessential head-to-head statistics.
From 14 previous matches, Real unsurprisingly lead the way with six wins, while Dortmund have only prevailed on three occasions.
7.44pm
In fact, BVB's win rate of 21% is their second-worst against a single opponent in the Champions League.
Only against Manchester City (17%) have they fared worse against in Europe's top competition. They also lost both of their most recent meetings in the 2017-18 group stage.
7.46pm
With a beaming Jurgen Klopp singing along, the Yellow Wall have just broken into a spine-tingling rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone.
Think we know who the Liverpool fans will be cheering on tonight!
7.48pm
Of course, Klopp was at the Dortmund helm when BVB defeated Real Madrid in the 2012-13 semi-finals, when Lewandowski produced one of the finest individual Champions League displays in recent memory.
Sixty-seven minutes. Four goals. And he's now haunting Blancos nightmares in Barcelona colours.
7.50pm
Speaking of Klopp, he's one of a few iconic figures already spotted at Wembley.
Arsene Wenger, Sir Alex Ferguson, Zinedine Zidane and the aforementioned Figo have also been caught on celebrity watch.
7.52pm
For those of a musical persuasion, Jay-Z is also in attendance.
The American rapper is the founder of agency Roc Nation Sports, who have Real's Vinicius among their clientele.
7.54pm
Sticking with the musical theme, Wembley has just been treated to a pre-match performance from Lenny Kravitz.
However, the Dortmund faithful do not appear to be fans of his work...
7.56pm
Nevertheless, both sets of supporters only need to wait a few more minutes before the 2023-24 final gets underway!
Will Dortmund defy the odds or is Real's name about to be etched onto the trophy for the 15th time?
7.58pm
Stoic faces aplenty in the tunnel just now. Expressions as stone cold as Steve Austin.
Tonight's referee is Slovenia's Slavko Vincic, by the way. Once wrongly arrested as part of a probe into a drugs and prostitution ring in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
One to tell the grandkids! Or perhaps not.
8.00pm
Vincic leads the two sets of players out past the iconic trophy and onto the pitch.
A Dortmund logo-emblazoned crown tifo makes its way up the BVB crowd as the theme booms across Wembley.
Never gets old.
1 min
KICKOFF: We're underway! Dortmund kick us off.
2 min
Oh for goodness sake.
A pitch invader makes his way onto the pitch straight away and approaches Bellingham for a selfie.
Brief break in play.
4 min
Make that three stupid people who entered the field. One of whom was tackled by Marcel Sabitzer. Respect.
Anyways, after that farce, we're back underway.
5 min
To think those 'fans' paid for a ticket just to potentially earn a lifetime ban from stadiums? Absolute idiocy.
No idiocy between these two sides, though. Real settling into possession straight away.
6 min
Sabitzer takes a break from rugby-tackling pitch invaders and whips in an inviting ball from the right, which Antonio Rudiger clears.
Dortmund force a corner, though...
7 min
Julian Brandt whips it in and Niclas Fullkrug heads it on, but Toni Kroos does enough before another Fullkrug header rolls through to Courtois.
8 min
Slightly nervy moment for Gregor Kobel as Rodrygo charges down his clearance, but Bellingham cannot control the ricochet some distance from goal and Dortmund survive.
10 min
Neither goalkeeper has really had to work yet, but it's been a good start from Dortmund.
Real still feeling their way into this final.
12 min
SHOT! Federico Valverde feels that he is body-checked by Nico Schlotterbeck just outside the area. The referee sees differently.
Real Madrid keep the pressure on and Valverde shoots from range, but the Uruguayan's effort is high and not at all handsome.
14 min
Eduardo Camavinga escapes a yellow card for a tackle from behind on Sancho, who just linked up with another unwanted Manchester United man in Sabitzer just now.
A penny for Erik ten Hag's thoughts?
14 min
CHANCE! Brandt should do better!
Fullkrug stays onside... maybe... from a long ball over the top and cuts back to his arriving colleague, who cannot sort his feet out on the sprint and can only scuff wide from a promising position.
15 min
SHOT! Shots aplenty now!
Real get down the right again and Vinicius has a pop this time, but it is a carbon copy of Valverde's earlier miss.
17 min
Sense that the final is starting to open up a bit now. Brilliant news!
Vinicius tries to outwit Hummels, but the German wins this round.
19 min
This time, Vinicius gets it right with a slick dummy to Bellingham, but Sabitzer catches the Englishman and gives away a free kick.
Real play it short and recycle.
21 min
Carvajal whips in a cross from the right, but not even Bellingham's long legs are latching onto that one.
Ancelotti's men are experiencing plenty of joy down that side, though.
21 min
CHANCE! Oh Adeyemi
Carvajal fails to play the offside trap and the German is in one-on-one with Courtois, but his touch takes him wide and Carvajal got back to block!
Best chance of the game so far and it goes to the underdogs!
23 min
In fairness, a young, first-time Champions League finalist can be forgiven for being caught in two minds in that situation, but that was a chance. And a big one.
How many more of those openings will Dortmund get tonight?
23 min
OFF THE POST! HOW HAS THE BALL STAYED OUT?!
Firstly, Adeyemi just cannot latch onto Sabitzer's ball into the box, before Fullkrug hits the inside of the post on the stretch. Real living incredibly dangerously!
25 min
On reflection, a VAR offside review may have saved Real had Fullkrug's strike crept in, but Ancelotti's men need to wise up, and fast.
27 min
Dortmund's momentum stalls as captain Can goes down and needs treatment from the magic sponge.
BVB's pace and runs in behind are carving Real Madrid open at will, but you feel that those missed chances will be punished at some stage.
28 min
CHANCE! Can is fine to continue as Real come forward themselves.
Vinicius bursts past Julian Ryerson but sees his cross cut out.
Dortmund then break, but Adeyemi is denied by Courtois from a tight angle and the rebound is just behind Fullkrug!
30 min
The Dortmund man did his best with that header, but it was an incredibly difficult chance.
Carvajal is the next to deliver for Real; Schlotterbeck hacks clear, but Los Blancos win a corner...
31 min
Kroos's delivery is poor and Dortmund break - it's five on three!
However, Ferland Mendy nudges Adeyemi over - staying on the right side of the law in the process - and the attack fizzles out.
© Reuters
Some engrossing action so far at Wembley, and Dortmund really should be ahead, but the scoreline in the top-left corner crucially still reads 0-0.
Sancho tries to flip-flap his way past Mendy and Kroos but fails, fouling the former in the process.
35 min
YELLOW CARD! First booking of the night goes to Real Madrid.
Kobel takes his sweet time playing the ball out and is wiped out by Vinicius for his troubles. Yellow for the Brazilian.
37 min
Maatsen tries to find Can with a crisp cross-field ball, but it's just above the head of the Dortmund skipper.
39 min
Ryerson fouls Vinicius on the left and Real want to get on with it quickly, but the referee is having none of it.
Ancelotti's men try to fashion something down the right again, but the ball ricochets off of Carvajal and behind for a goal kick.
40 min
YELLOW CARD! Yellow for a man in yellow.
Vinicius is... taken down? The contact from Schlotterbeck was minimal if any, but he goes in the book regardless.
41 min
SHOT! Schlotterbeck was actually booked for dissent, it was Hummels's 'challenge.
Sabitzer now tries one from 20 yards, but Courtois gets down comfortably to parry it away.
43 min
The corner comes to nothing, but Dortmund retain possession and continue to probe for the opener just before the break.
The half-time whistle cannot come soon enough for Real. Sancho now delivers a cross which Eduardo Camavinga cuts out.
44 min
YELLOW CARD! Sabitzer next into the book; the Austrian protested at the linesman too aggressively for the referee's liking.
45 min
Another four minutes to be played here thanks to the earlier pitch invasion.
45 +2 min
Real trying to take the sting out of the game in injury time, and who can blame them? They've been second best in almost every department so far.
45 +4 min
Late Dortmund corner as Mendy chests the ball out of play...
45 + 4 min
HALF TIME: BORUSSIA DORTMUND 0-0 REAL MADRID
8.52pm
HALF TIME: Neither delivery comes to anything, and that's the half!
A shortage of goals but no shortage of pulsating action!
Dortmund exploded out of the blocks, but Adeyemi, Fullkrug and Brandt have all missed golden chances, while Courtois has earned his keep too.
Meanwhile, Real's attacking endeavours have been limited to a couple of shots from range. Ancelotti wake-up call needed!
8.53pm
Before tonight, Dortmund's opponents had hit the post 12 times against them in the Champions League, but the shoe is on the other foot this time around.
Fullkrug will be having nightmares about that chance if his side lose, but there was little more he could have done on the stretch.
8.58pm
Just the 0.09 Expected Goals for Real Madrid in that half, compared to 1.68 for Dortmund, despite having just 36% of the ball.
The big question now, does Ancelotti bite the bullet and make any half-time changes?
9.02pm
© Reuters
Unlikely, although Joselu time may not be too far away if things continue in the same vein.
9.05pm
Unsurprisingly, Real's two shots in the first half was their joint-lowest across all tournaments this season, while the last team to fail to have an attempt on target in the first 45 of a UCL final was Tottenham Hotspur in 2019.
The Lilywhites were already a goal down by this point, though. Real very much still in this.
46 min
KICKOFF: Time for hero arcs to be written!
Real get us back up and running.
46 min
No changes for either team, by the way.
48 min
Dortmund on the front foot right away, and Bellingham has to charge back to deflect Ryerson's cross behind for a corner...
48 min
Wasted.
Real immediately surge down the other end through Vinicius, who holds the ball up and draws the foul from Hummels.
Free kick in a promising position...
49 min
SAVE! Kroos goes for goal from a tight angle, and Kobel at full stretch prevents the German from finding the top corner!
Carvajal gets his head to the corner but heads over the bar. Ancelotti's half-time words going down a treat already!
51 min
SHOT! Maatsen playing the inverted full-back role for Dortmund and has a crack from 20 yards, which loops off a pair of white socks and out for a corner...
52 min
Brandt and Maatsen link up for the short routine this time. Never been a fan of those.
Camavinga clears the former's eventual delivery away before Mendy gives away another set-piece.
53 min
Hummels gets his noggin to this one, but his header trickles to the byline, and Schlotterbeck cannot prevent the goal kick under pressure.
55 min
Camavinga tries to break, but an Adeyemi-Brandt sandwich thwarts his charge.
No free kick, despite the Frenchman's turf-punching outburst.
57 min
Another Real player hits the deck, another free kick appeal waved away.
Carvajal runs into Adeyemi and reacts coldly to the German's attempts to help him up.
57 min
CHANCE! Carvajal nearly gets this one right!
The experienced right-back latches onto a looping delivery to the back stick, but Maatsen takes the sting out of his half volley and Kobel can gather.
60 min
Dortmund are lighting up Wembley on and off the pitch 🔥
📺 @TNTSports & @discoveryplusUK #UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/SGVBEPXyUq— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) June 1, 2024
This is how the Dortmund faithful welcomed their troops back out for the second half, though.
Imagine the scenes if their side win? They have plenty of work still to do, though. Real looking a tad better since the break.
62 min
Every man behind the ball for Real Madrid, now, as Dortmund huff and puff in and around the box.
However, Maatsen's attempt at trickery fails miserably and the ball rolls out for a goal kick.
63 min
SAVE! Courtois to the rescue again!
Adeyemi delivers a delightful ball to the arriving Fullkrug, whose bullet header is punched away by the Belgian. More signs of danger for the men in white!
65 min
Vinicius leaves Ryerson in his wake and manages to win his side a corner, but as has been the theme tonight, another dead-ball situation comes to nothing.
66 min
Real try again from the opposite corner flag, but Kroos's first delivery is cleared by compatriot Hummels, before Vinicius gets his head to the second and loops an aerial effort well wide.
68 min
Kroos catches Fullkrug inside the Dortmund half, but the referee isn't interested, and the German striker gets up pretty quickly once he realises.
69 min
CHANCE! SO CLOSE FOR REAL!
An exquisite inswinging cross from Vinicius picks out the Englishman's run, but it misses his head and takes a small nick off Kobel before bouncing just wide!
No corner, though.
71 min
Into the final 20 at Wembley and still anybody's guess as to how this one will turn out!
Dortmund have wasted their opportunities, but a hitherto ruthless Real side have failed to punish them.
72 min
Okay. Here. We. Go.
Reus is stripped and ready for Borussia Dortmund. The script has been written and all that jazz.
72 min
DORTMUND SUB: Reus is on for his BVB swansong. Adeyemi off and not happy at all about it.
73 min
Vinicius has the beating of Ryerson again, but Hummels charges in like a bat out of hell and prods the ball behind for a corner.
Dortmund clear, but Maatsen slices Valverde's speculative attempt wide and back to the quadrant...
74 min
GOAL! BORUSSIA DORTMUND 0-1 REAL MADRID (CARVAJAL)
74 min
GOAL! THAT'S WHAT REAL MADRID DO IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE. THEY FIND A WAY.
74 min
Carvajal had already missed one near-post header from a corner, but a carbon copy from the right-back ends with the experienced defender glancing a deft header past a flat-footed Kobel and in!
77 min
Whatever deal Real Madrid struck with the Champions League gods, it is working magnificently.
How do Dortmund respond now? Each of the last four UCL finals has ended 1-0...
77 min
CHANCE! SCHLOTTERBECK TO THE RESCUE!
Camavinga just about manages to keep the ball alive on the right and cuts back for Bellingham, who surely must score, but Schlotterbeck sticks a foot in at the crucial moment. Incredible defending!
Dortmund deal with the resulting corner this time.
79 min
Camavinga is now taken out by Hummels, who also enters the book.
Real free kick which has Kroos's name written all over it...
80 min
SAVE! It's on target - of course it is - but it's also a good height for Kobel, who gets across to his right and parries.
80 min
DORTMUND SUBS
Kitchen sink time. Sebastien Haller - back from an ankle injury - and Donyell Malen on for Brandt and Can.
82 min
SAVE! KOBEL HAS KEPT DORTMUND IN THIS TIE!
Camavinga conjures up a magnificent curler from range, but the Dortmund goalkeeper acrobatically tips it behind before also leaping to swipe Nacho Fernandez's header away!
83 min
GOAL! BORUSSIA DORTMUND 0-2 REAL MADRID (VINICIUS JR)
83 min
GOAL! And that is surely that!
Maatsen is the culprit, giving the ball straight to Bellingham, who lays off Vinicius Junior to do the rest with a finish into the ground and into the net. Mesut Ozil-esque.
Champions League number 15 is heading to Madrid!
84 min
REAL MADRID SUBS
As poor as Ancelotti's men were in the first half, their second-half lead is certainly warranted. Dortmund have been abysmal since going down.
Bellingham skips off for Joselu, while Kroos bids farewell to the Real Madrid crowd, addressing the raucous white wall with a fist pump and roar.
The German gets a warm embrace from Ancelotti as Luka Modric comes on.
87 min
While some Dortmund fans may have revelled in their fantastic start, some may have wondered whether their missed openings would come back to bite them.
In the end, the glass-half-empty ones were proven right.
87 min
DISALLOWED GOAL! FULLKRUG HAS THE BALL IN THE NET! BUT THE FLAG IS UP!
87 min
DISALLOWED GOAL! The Dortmund striker sends a bullet header past Courtois from Malen's cross, but he was clearly offside. Dortmund hopes raised and shot down in an instant.
89 min
As if Terzic's men were not deflated enough, that may be the final nail in the coffin.
Carvajal now wins a throw-in off of Malen and greets the Real fans with a fist pump and a smile. He knows. We all know.
90 min
I was on the verge of talking up our 1-0 prediction before Vinicius made me eat my words...
Eder Militao about to come on to help Real shut up shop.
90 min
REAL MADRID SUB
Militao - who would have surely started had his season not been hampered by an ACL injury - replaces Rodrygo for the five minutes of injury time.
90 + 2 min
Momentary Dortmund pressure, but Carvajal nonchalantly heads back to Courtois. Nearly there.
90 + 4 min
REAL MADRID SUB Lucas Vazquez replaces Vinicius for the final few seconds.
90 + 6 min
FULL TIME: BORUSSIA DORTMUND 0-2 REAL MADRID
REAL MADRID WIN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE!
9.58pm
Ancelotti and Terzic warmly embrace as Real Madrid pandemonium commences!
Los Blancos are European champions for the 15th time, extending their unassailable record at the top of the continental game.
Dortmund put in an excellent shift, but failing to take their opportunities against Ancelotti's Champions League juggernaut was a fatal mistake.
10.02pm
Dortmund dejection coupled with Blancos bedlam at Wembley. Ancelotti did not celebrate either goal but can afford a smile now!
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us to witness Real Madrid conquer the continent again. You can find our match report here.
Goodnight all!
ID:544933:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect48356:No Data Analysis info
