Borussia Dortmund vs Real Madrid predictions: Vinicius vying to lead Los Blancos to glory again
- Vinicius Junior has scored five goals and assisted four more in this season's Champions League
- Real Madrid have netted 13 goals in their last four matches
- Recommended bet: Vinicius Junior to score first
The Champions League's most successful side will get the opportunity to make it 15 triumphs when they take on 1997 champions Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.
Carlo Ancelotti is the competition's most successful manager too, winning the trophy on four occasions, suggesting that Real hold all the aces heading into Saturday's clash.
However, plucky Dortmund were impressive in their back-to-back semi-final victories over Paris Saint-Germain and they will be keen to frustrate the 14-time winners.
Team news
Remy Bensebaini and Julien Duranville are certain absentees for Dortmund.
Sebastien Haller has only recently returned to training, although Niclas Fullkrug has been favoured by Edin Terzic in Europe this term and will lead the line regardless of the Ivorian's fitness.
The big question for Real comes in goal. A bout of flu means Andriy Lunin will be travelling to London separately from the rest of the squad and faces a race against time to recover for the final.
The timely return of Thibaut Courtois makes things easier for Ancelotti, but neither of his favoured goalkeepers is 100% fit.
David Alaba and Aurelien Tchouameni are both out for the 14-time winners, while Toni Kroos will make his final club appearance as he is set to call time on his glittering career after Euro 2024.
The stats
- Vinicius has scored five goals and assisted four more in his nine Champions League appearances this season
- Real Madrid have netted 13 goals in their last four matches
- Dortmund have conceded the first goal in two of their last three Champions League games against Spanish sides
- Los Blancos have won four of the last eight Champions League titles
- The last four Champions League finals have finished 1-0
- Vinicius opened the scoring in Real Madrid's 2022 triumph
Prediction
Real were runaway LaLiga champions this season and are undoubtedly the specialists of this competition, so Dortmund, who could only muster a fifth-placed finish in the Bundesliga, will have their work cut out at Wembley.
However, they will take confidence from their consecutive clean sheets against PSG and will look to frustrate Madrid, which could extend the trend of narrow Champions League finals.
The last four finals in this competition have finished 1-0, and another close encounter could be on the cards in London. That outcome would make a look at the first goalscorer markets appeal ahead of the anytime prices, with Vinicius the standout candidate.
The Brazilian star has enjoyed an excellent season in Europe, netting five goals and assisting four more in his nine Champions League appearances this term, and he will be keen to add to that scoring tally on Saturday.
He has quickly cemented his reputation as a big-game player over the past few seasons too. Vinicius got the only goal of the game in Madrid's last Champions League final in 2022 and has proven his ability to lead Los Blancos from the front.
The Real winger notched the opener and a subsequent hat-trick in their Super Cup final win over El Clasico rivals Barcelona in January and was the standout player in the semi-finals against Bayern Munich.
Vinicius opened the scoring in the first leg and if not for some Manuel Neuer heroics, would have repeated the feat in the second. The 23-year-old is a tricky customer and rates a solid bet to net the first goal at Wembley this weekend.
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