As the two Champions League finalists set off for London, the contrasting moods among the squads said enough. For Real Madrid, it’s a sense of duty. There’s excitement about returning to this stage, sure, but also an awareness that this is simply what they do. They go to these games and win them. For Borussia Dortmund, there’s a sense of genuine wonder. Manager Edin Terzic has described it as “a dream”. This is just the third Champions League final in their history and first in 11 years. Many of their players are aware they may never get this chance again. For club stalwart Marco Reus, it may even be the last chance to properly fulfil his talent and win a major trophy.
As rare as this feeling is for Dortmund, though, it actually isn’t that infrequent for this showpiece. The Champions League final may be the biggest global event in club football – and maybe all of sport, after the World Cup final – but it has rarely featured a showdown between the two best teams in Europe. They have tended to come earlier in the knockouts, usually involving Madrid and Manchester City in recent times. The curiosity of that goes back further, through what has been one of the Champions League’s last remaining unpredictabilities. In the 11 years since Dortmund’s last appearance at this stage, there have arguably been six finals where there was one outstanding favourite. This is certainly the second in a row, after Inter Milan’s surprisingly spirited 1-0 defeat to City last season.
