After a season full of memorable moments, Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid chase history in Saturday’s UEFA Champions League final at Wembley Stadium.
Real Madrid enter the game as the heavy favorites after a season of dominance, both at home and in Europe. They cruised to their first La Liga title since 2022, clinching first place with weeks left on the calendar thanks to a high-firing attack that also ensured they would find themselves in London competing for their 15th Champions League. Dortmund, meanwhile, come to the British capital as the competition’s Cinderella story — they may have finished fifth in the Bundesliga and will need to win at Wembley to return for next season’s competition, but they conquered a handful of top-tier teams to reach this point and cannot be underestimated.
Here’s what you need to know before tuning in.
How to watch and odds
- Date: Saturday, June 1 | Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
- Location: Wembley Stadium — London, England
- TV: CBS | Live stream: Paramount+
- Odds: Borussia Dortmund +420; Draw +330; Real Madrid -165
Champions League final broadcast schedule
All times U.S./Eastern
- Morning Footy, 11 a.m. (CBS Sports Golazo Network)
- UEFA Champions League Today, 1 p.m. (CBS Sports Golazo Network, Paramount+)
- UEFA Champions League Today pre-match, 1:30 p.m. (CBS, Paramount+)
- CBS Sports Golazo Matchday, 1:30 p.m. (CBS Sports Golazo Network)
- Borussia Dortmund vs. Real Madrid, 3 p.m. (CBS, Paramount+)
- UEFA Champions League Today post-match, 5:30 p.m. (CBS Sports Network, Paramount+)
- Scoreline, 5:30 p.m. (CBS Sports Golazo Network)
- The Champions Club, 6:30 p.m. (CBS Sports Golazo Network)
How they got here
Borussia Dortmund: The German side return to the final for the first time since 2013 — also hosted at Wembley — after an unspectacular domestic campaign, but emerged as somewhat of a giant slayer during their European season. Dortmund topped arguably the toughest group in this season’s Champions League, losing 2-0 on opening day to Paris Saint-Germain but going undefeated for the next five and beating AC Milan and Newcastle United along the way.
Edin Terzic’s side then made easy work of their 3-1 aggregate win over PSV in the round of 16, and then truly developed a reputation for determination as the tournament progressed. They lost 2-1 at Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the quarterfinals, conceding twice from defensive errors, but took advantage of their unsteady opponents at home and came out of the tie with a 5-4 aggregate win. They switched to a defensively sound tactic for the semifinal against PSG, shutting out the high-profile attack led by Kylian Mbappe and registering a 2-0 aggregate win to reach the final.
Marcel Sabitzer has arguably been the team’s standout going forward in their run to Wembley with five assists this season, more than any other player in the competition. Julian Brandt, meanwhile, ranks within the top five for chances created with 24 and Niclas Fullkrug is 11th in the Champions League for expected goals with 3.83 and leads the team with three goals in the competition this season.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Gregor Kobel has been lights out in goal, especially with his performances against PSG.
Real Madrid: If Dortmund are the giant slayers, then Real Madrid are the titular giants of this season’s competition. Despite any apparent weaknesses, Carlo Ancelotti’s side have come out on top on every occasion and enter the final after an unbeaten season in Europe and just one loss en route to their La Liga triumph. There’s a sense of inevitability that will arrive with them in London, considering how the talent on hand has bailed them out time and time again.
They topped a group with Napoli, Braga and Union Berlin with relative ease but were wasteful up top at times and lacked precision in the back on other occasions. They still managed to outscore the opposition 16 to seven in the group stage, but the margins of victory grew tighter as the tournament progressed. They only registered a 2-1 aggregate win over RB Leipzig in the round of 16, ousted reigning champions Manchester City on penalties after a 4-4 aggregate scoreline in the quarterfinals, and then toppled Bayern Munich 4-3 in the semifinals.
Their ability to outscore the opponent time and time again came courtesy of a wide range of players, chief among them Jude Bellingham. He started his breakout season on a high with four goals in the group stage but several other teammates stepped up to the plate, including Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Joselu, each of whom have five goals in the Champions League this season. The final will also serve as a send off to Toni Kroos, who will retire after the Euros as one of his generation’s best midfielders. The 34-year-old’s game has not dipped much despite being in the final stages of his career, who has averaged a 95.1% passing accuracy in Europe this season.
Prediction
This final is Real Madrid’s to lose and considering the fact that their strengths far outweigh their weaknesses, they seem likely to cruise to their record 15th Champions League title on Saturday. Don’t expect Dortmund to just roll over, though, especially against a Madrid backline that has a tendency to concede. Pick: Borussia Dortmund 1, Real Madrid 3
