The biggest game on the European club football calendar is less than a month away, as Real Madrid will take on Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium in the 2024 UEFA Champions League final.
Dortmund progressed past PSG in the semifinal this year, weathering an onslaught across both legs but somehow coming up with a miraculous aggregate clean sheet. Goals by Niclas Fullkrug and Mats Hummels did the business for Eden Terzic, and the German side will be playing in the final.
Real Madrid and Bayern Munich met in the other semifinal, and after a 2-2 draw in the first leg, Real Madrid were miraculously put through by a brace from late substitute Joselu, who out of nowhere cropped up to score two late goals and provide a 2-1 win seemingly out of nothing.
With just two teams remaining, the run-up to the match can officially begin as the matchup is set and the two clubs now look forward to three weeks of preparation and speculation. The Sporting News gets things started with an early look at the match for all the marbles on June 1.
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According to BetMGM, Real Madrid is the early betting favorite, and given the stature of the two clubs remaining, that is unlikely to change as the match draws nearer. Here are the full initial odds as available from BetMGM in the United States.
Odds as of May 8, 2024 prior to second leg of Real Madrid vs. Borussia Dortmund. Full odds for the UEFA Champions League final will be displayed when available.
Kyle Bonn: Real Madrid
Borussia Dortmund are extremely well-coached, but they concede far too many chances — they have the largest differential between xGA and goals conceded in the entire competition, conceding over 10 more xG than goals. PSG were not ruthless enough to capitalise on their glut of opportunities, but while Dortmund possess the most in-form goalkeeper in the competition in Gregor Kobel, they will not be so lucky against a more clinical opponent with the likes of Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham. And is anyone betting against the Real Madrid black magic, which feels as prominent this season as it ever has? (Follow Kyle @the_bonnfire on X/Twitter)
Dan Gibbs: Real Madrid
The narrative is all set for Jude Bellingham to score the winner in the Champions League final against his former side — the perfect ending to a remarkable debut season (before he then leads England to Euro 2024 glory this summer!). On the flip side, I’d love to see Marco Reus end his Dortmund career on a high with a famous win at Wembley, but overcoming Real Madrid on the biggest stage of all seems a step too far for this talented German side. (Follow Dan @Gibbsyy on X/Twitter)
As noted earlier, both writers picked Real Madrid to win the Champions League final. Here are the tabulated results along with a final score prediction from each expert.
The 2024 Champions League final on June 1 will be televised in the United States on CBS, with streaming on the company’s dedicated platform Paramount+, the home for every single match of the competition. The game will also be televised in Spanish on Telemundo.
Both CBS and Telemundo can be found on Fubo, who are offering a free trial for new users.
In the UK, the match will be televised by UEFA rights-holders TNT Sports 1, with streaming on their dedicated platform discovery+. In Canada, the match will be streamed on DAZN, where every game of the competition can be found.
