Features

2024 Champions League Final: All You Need to Know

All roads leading up to Wembley will be colored in White and Yellow as Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund face off for the UEFA Champions League title.

by
Football Talk
May 20, 2024

All roads leading up to Wembley will be colored in White and Yellow as Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, face off for the UEFA Champions League title.

This is the moment that several thousands of fans have been eagerly anticipating, as the Champions League final tickets go on sale. Despite the absence of a Premier League side, the excitement among fans is palpable, driving them to purchase Champions League final tickets for a chance to witness enthralling football action.

Here’s a Refresher on All You Need to Know about the Champions League Final.

Marking the 69th season of Europe’s elite club competition and the 32nd since its renaming as the UEFA Champions League, this final holds a significant place in football history.

It is often said to be the pinnacle of club football, with two of the best sides competing with each other.

Who is playing in the Champions League final?

Borussia Dortmund was the first to confirm its place in the final, winning 2-0 on aggregate over Paris Saint-Germain.

It was a comprehensive win for Dortmund, who won the first leg 1-0 and continued to make it a 2-0 aggregate.

Dortmund and PSG faced each other in the group stages, and the Yellow Army came second to PSG. But Dortmund made the Champions League final.

They will take on 14-time champions Real Madrid, who secured their ticket to London with a dramatic 4-3 aggregate victory over Bayern München.

On their way to get their Champions League final ticket, Real Madrid brought out a convincing display of football to defeat the defending champions Manchester City in the quarterfinals.

This represented a prime Real Madrid outfit that got attraction and praise from the entire football community.

Where is the Champions League final?

The highlight of European football’s club calendar returns to the London venue for a record eighth time, and the third in the UEFA Champions League era following the 2011 and 2013 finals.

Wembley has undergone a massive transformation since it hosted the last old-style European Champion Clubs’ Cup final in 1992. The famous Twin Towers arena made way for a new venue symbolized by the gigantic arch. Boasting a large capacity, 90,000 Champions League final tickets are on sale this year, thanks to the new Wembley Stadium, which opened in 2007.

It is currently the home of English football and the finals of domestic tournaments.

Wembley Stadium also hosted all three of England’s Group D games at UEFA EURO 2020, as well as two rounds of 16 matches, both semifinals and the final itself. The hosts were only denied their maiden triumph in the competition on penalties against Italy.

England’s performance at UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 was more successful, as the Lionesses overcame Germany 2-1 after extra time to become European champions for the first time.

Extra Time and Penalties

Yes. If the score is level at the end of normal time, two 15-minute periods of extra time are played. If one of the teams scores more goals than the other during extra time, that team is declared the winner. If the score remains level after extra time, the winner is determined by a penalty shoot-out.

What do the Champions League winners get?

The UEFA Champions League trophy stands 73.5cm tall and weighs 7.5kg. “It may not be an artistic masterpiece, but everybody in football is keen to get their hands on it,” said creator Jürg Stadelmann.

The 2023/24 UEFA Champions League winners will also automatically qualify for next season’s league phase if they do not earn a place via their domestic league position.

Final Predictions

When you look at the two teams in the finals, it is tough to vouch for Borussia Dortmund while looking at Real Madrid, one of the most successful teams in European football.

WitReal Madrid enters the match with its 14 European Cups and the possibility of adding a 15th title to its spectacular record.

Opta’s supercomputer predicts Real Madrid as the favorite to win the final, but the favorability margin may be smaller than expected. Specifically, the supercomputer gives Real Madrid a 61.7% chance of winning the final.

The remaining 38.3% is for a Borussia Dortmund team that knows what it takes to win the Champions League, although they’ve only done it once, in the 1996-1997 season after defeating Juventus in the final.

However, Dortmund has eliminated notable teams like PSG (in the semifinals) and Atlético Madrid (in the quarterfinals) on their path to the final. Will Artificial Intelligence prove accurate?

Dortmund, who are big at heart, are clear underdogs with a purpose.

Their last Champions League final was at Wembley in 2013, when Bayern Munich defeated them in the final. It was when Jurgen Klopp managed Dortmund, and a dominant Bayern side took down an ambitious team.

This time, BVB is different and comes with a purpose: to prove everyone else wrong. With Maroco Reus, their long-standing club legend, announcing that he will leave the club this year after decades of commitment and loyalty, it will also be a perfect send-off for the legendary player at the club.

Resu has stood as an inspirational figure for Dortmund and international football, and the team would want to send him off on a high note.

Even with the official odds, Real Madrid are clearly in front, with all the predictions going in favor of the Spanish club.

The La Liga champions open as -175 favorites to defeat Dortmund in the last match of European club football’s top competition;

Dortmund opens at +375, while the draw stands at +333, per ESPN BET. With the draw option removed, Madrid is -350, and Dortmund is +230. The total stands at 2.5, with the over (-160) favored to the under (+115).