Wait, wait, wait. Hear me out on this.
Real Madrid are favored; there's simply no avoiding that. It's tough to bet against a team with such a rich European Cup history—and one that just cruised to a La Liga title.
But Borussia Dortmund have been written off since this season's competition began, and they just need to prove people wrong one more time to take the biggest prize in club football back to Germany.
Few expected them to qualify from what was widely considered "the group of death," but they topped their group ahead of Paris Saint-Germain, Milan and Newcastle United. Few expected them to beat Atletico Madrid in the quarterfinals, and even fewer thought they'd topple PSG in the semis.
But here they are, playing in a Champions League final at Wembley just like they did in 2013. This time, though, they'll successfully land that final leap.
A team that has been battle-hardened through the competition will not be a welcome opponent for Real Madrid to face. A traveling Yellow Wall will be raucous, too, making this feel like a home game for the Bundesliga side.
Meanwhile, club legend Marco Reus will be making his Dortmund bow, playing his final game for Dortmund after a 12-year stint. If he can secure Die Schwarzgelben's first Champions League title since 1997, there's a Hollywood ending here. Mats Hummels, who might yet depart as well, will surely want a cameo in that box-office smash
.If you're a believer in fate or retribution, then maybe Dortmund should be grabbing your attention.
Prediction: Dortmund win by a one-goal margin; Reus scores in the closing minutes.
- Leo Collis
