Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund summary: goals, score, stats & highlights | UEFA Champions League 24/25
Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund: as it happened
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Joe
Go on then, work that one out!
Sometimes there is simply no point in analysing Real Madrid, other than to say that they're Real Madrid and they do these things.
The first half of the game was a horror show from Ancelotti's side, a complete disaster of a performance that saw Dortmund control the possession, the flow, the tempo and create two glorious chances that they converted into goals, with Malen and Gittens getting their names on the scoresheet.
The half time break served as a chance for the home side to reorganise and come out flying. They began to pressure BVB and push them back towards their own goal, with Antonio Rüdiger heading past Kobel to cut the deficit.
Numbers inside the Dortmund box eventually saw Vini squeezing in the equaliser soon after following a VAR check, and the home pressure ultimately told when Lucas Vázquez put his side ahead with less than ten minutes to go following a lucky deflection back into his path close to goal.
By this point, with the Madrid crowd cheering every step up the pitch from their side, Dortmund's play became disjointed, demoralised and the tired legs were walking around like they'd been thrown a flash-bang in a corridor.
More relentless attacks saw Vini Jr put the icing on the cake with two more goals to somehow make it five for the hosts.
The first one was a sensational run from deep finished off with a rocket into the bottom corner; the 5th on the night was a slaloming dance through challenges that twisted the blood of his opponents before thwacking the ball into the roof of Kobel's net.
In the end, Real Madrid beat Dortmund by bashing the door down with a tree-trunk sized battering ram, throwing everyone forward and looking like they actually cared about the game. It might not be sustainable and there will definitely be tougher doors to knock down, but it's certainly fun when they want it to be.
Up next, FC Barcelona...
FULL-TIME!
Somehow, and I have no idea how, Madrid scored 5 goals against Dortmund in a 5-2 win.
HAT-TRICK FOR VINICIUS JR
Arda skips away from a challenge on halfway and plays to the Brazilian, who makes his way towards goal. He goes left, right, left and cracks a shot into the roof of the net.
Somehow Madrid have scored five, and you just have to laugh.
At long last, after 91 minutes, Real Madrid finally look comfortable in possession.
4 added minutes.
OFF: Bellingham, Mbappé
ON: Güler, Ceballos
Güler and Ceballos are waiting to come on.
We're back underway and Real Madrid, they're gonna Real Madrid.
Vini Jr takes the ball in his own half and sets off on a sensational run that sees him leave one, two, three, four BVB players in his wake.
The winger cuts inside and fires a rocket into the far corner of the goal that flies past Kobel.
Back underway. It's Dortmund now pushing for an equaliser.
Rodrygo off with a potential injury
OFF: Rodrygo
ON: Tchouaméni
Lucas tries a one-two with Mbappé on the right corner of the box.
The pass from the defender is deflected back into his path and the shot from close range is sent into the far corner of the goal.
Dortmund attack and the ball is played across the box from the left, where Beier is all alone. He shapes his body and sends his shot into Courtois' body.
HUGE SAVE FROM COURTOIS
CHANCE. Rodrygo's deflected cross from the right is headed over the bar by Kylian Mbappé, who did well to fend off the two defensive giants surrounding him.
SAVE. Camavinga slides Mbappé in behind and the Frenchman cuts back onto his left foot and smashes a shot into the legs of Kobel.
Into the final 10...
Kobel catches Vinicius' cross and Dortmund get a breather as the clock ticks down.
Vini burns past two markers and fizzes in a low cross from the left that is deflected out for a corner.
Beier makes an instant impact as he sneaks in behind Mendy before playing a deadly ball across Madrid's box that is cleared by Lucas.
More changes from Sahin
OFF: Ryerson, Nmecha
ON: Can, Beier
Gasps as the home crowd are reminded of how bad things were in the first half: some nice work from Dortmund ends with Rüdiger swiping away a low cross sent in from the left.
A terrible pass from Vini Jr on the edge of the Dortmund box lands straight at the feet of Brandt, who crashes to the ground after the Brazilian tries to make up for his mistake by standing on his foot.
The Madrid attackers have the opposing defenders pinned inside their own 18-yard box, with the quick passes flashing from left to right.
Carlo makes a change:
OFF: Modric
ON: Camavinga
Thibaut puts his Speedy González shoes on and races out to the edge of his box as Anton flies towards goal with the ball. The Belgian stopper wins the battle and the Bernabéu erupts in applause.
Twenty minutes to go of normal time.
Mbappé swings a leg at the ball from the edge of the box but Kobel makes light work of the effort, which is sent towards him at a comfortable height.
The low cross from Modric is swept away by a yellow shirt.
Ryerson tumbles Vini Jr to the ground between the corner flag and the box. A chance for Madrid's defenders to get up and have a go.
Camavinga is set to come on.
The passing is sharper from everyone in white and Modric has become 21-years-old as he runs the show in every corner of the pitch.
Mbappé goes down in the box but Mr. Referee waves it away.
Every single fan that I can see across the stadium is on their feet and the noise from the capacity crowd is deafening as Madrid push Dortmund back.
The stadium is bouncing and Real Madrid look like they're close to a third...
Another Dortmund change:
OFF: Malen
ON: Groß
OFFSIDE!!!!!
The linesman has lifted his flag!
All of a sudden it feels like a long half an hour for the Black & Yellow...
Madrid's pressure finally pays off as Mbappé's cross from the right is met by the forehead of Rüdiger, who crashes the header past Kobel.
It appears Ancelotti has called for Camavinga and Tchouaméni to get warmed up.
BVB change:
OFF: Gittens
ON: Anton
Vini takes a second bite of the cherry after his first effort is blocked. The latter shot ends up in Row Z of the 85,000 seater arena.
Madrid come again and Vini's Modric-esque cross flies across Mbappé's path...
Half a chance for Madrid as Vini skips inside from the left and sees his low shot stopped easily by Kobel.
WIDE. Modric clips over the defence towards Mendy, and the cross is close to finding Mbappé. It lands with Lucas and the shot is stopped from close range.
Once again, it's whistles from the four sides of the ground who are not happy bunny rabbits tonight.
This is a kid-friendly live feed so I'll say Madrid's defending is seriously bad, and they almost look frightened to stick a foot in.
Nmecha dances through three challenges like a training exercise and manages to find Gittens on the left.
In the end it's Modric who stops his cross towards Guirassy, stood on his own on the penalty spot.
Mbappé plays a loose pass across the edge of the box and hearts are in mouths as BVB counter down the left. Militão steps in front of Brandt to stop the danger, but Los Blancos are still as wobbly as a fresh jelly.
Madrid attack: Bellingham plays square to Valverde on the edge of the box but his shot is weak, mis-hit and deflected away from goal.
Second half underway!
Madrid get the ball rolling...
Here come the two teams!
Madrid are already on the pitch, with no changes. Dortmund are on the way.
Did you know?
Jamie Gittens is now the youngest Englishman ever to score against Real Madrid in the Champions League. Alan Smith was previously the youngest, who netted for Leeds United in March 2001.
A nervy second half from BVB?
It will be interesting to see how both teams come out for the second half: with Dortmund defending the lead, could they afford to sit back and see it out? I don't think so, not with how well they controlled the ball in the first period. It's up to Madrid to take the initiative.
Half-time musings:
Real Madrid and Dortmund looked evenly matched for the first 20-25 minutes or so, with afew half chances keeping us from taking out phones from our pockets and looking on Reddit.
The away side's approach of controlled possession drew in Los Blancos who were hypnotised like Mowgli in The Jungle Book. But every snake has a bite, and when they wear striking colours like Black & Yellow, you know they're a dangerousone.
Guirassy's slipped pass into the feet of Malen was not enough of a wake up call for Madrid, so Gittens' tap-in a few minutes later, doubling the scoreline, will have to do.
OK, Madrid hit the bar twice in 2 seconds but doing that at 0-2 down is like eating one carrot from your plate and saying 'I did try to eat all my dinner, Dad'. It's too late, you're not getting an ice cream.
HALF-TIME!
Well, well, well...
Madrid's fans have turned up the noise, to be fair to them. All they need now is the team to do their bit.
1 added minute.
We're into the final minute of normal time in the first half. Carlo's eyebrow is touching the closed Bernabéu roof.
Modric is robbed in the middle after dilly-dallying on the ball for too long. Dortmund are in full control here, and the passes between the lines are looking like deadly arrows against Los Blancos.
SAVE. Courtois again the saviour as Dortmund transition quickly through the middle, with Gittens sending the Belgian scrambling to his right to parry a low effort wide.
Rodrygo collects the ball on the right corner of the box and sees the shot as the best option after taking a touch and lifting his head up. He flings a boot at the ball and it sails well wide of the far post.
SAVE. Courtois is at full stretch to stop Brandt's long-range effort! Corner to Dortmund.
It could be 2-2 very easily now, had Jude Bellingham aimed his header and shot a few inches to either side.
MADRID HIT THE POST TWICE!
First it's Rodrygo who smashes the crossbar before Bellingham crashes the rebound into the upright!
HUGE CHANCE! Bellingham gets in behind Dortmund's defence but his header is sent into the hands of the goalkeeper.
We're underway again...
Shocking stuff from the 15-time Champions, who let Malen get down the right and play a simple ball across goal that is met by Gittens who stabs home from a yard out.
Madrid are stunned.
We're back underway...
It's a shocking moment of defensive football from just about everyone in a 15-metre vicinity of the goal, as nobody pressed the numerous Dortmund players on the edge of the box, who all could have had a chance to fire towards goal.
A weak showing of both commitment and concentration means Madrid have a huge uphill task from here...
The ball is fed into Guirassy's feet inside the box, and Militão keeps him facing away from goal. However, the forward manages to slip a pass through the centre-backs, in behind Rüdiger, where Malen takes a touch and wallops one past Courtois.
Not for the first time, Madrid's outlet comes with Lucas, who cracks a low ball across the face of goal that is, again, well defended by the yellow shirts.
Dortmund take the free-kick and recycle the ball, happy to watch Madrid float around in the vast emptiness of space as they control possession.
A late stab at the ball from Mendy takes out Nmecha on the wing. It didn't look purposeful, but most certainly painful.
Mbappé and Modric go to press Dortmund's back line, only for Jude Bellingham to scream and hold out his arms, presumably saying "no!", as they both retreat to a position closer to halfway.
RealMadrid remember that they're at home and can actually touch the white thing that the Dortmund players had been kicking around to each other for so long.
Possession ends with an inviting Lucas cross that flies over various heads inside the away side's defensive area.
We're back underway. Bensebaini is OK.
Bensebaini is down after a challenge from Bellingham, who ruffles his hair like a cheeky pup.
The Frenchman seems to have taken a hit from that last challenge, and he's holding his back. One to keep an eye on, perhaps.
Real Madrid finally recover the ball after what must have been a 30-pass move from BVB... and they lose it straight away as Mbappé has his pocket picked by Nmecha.
Whistles from the crowd now, who aren't happy about Madrid's passive approach off the ball...
The away side are more than happy to tap, tap, tap at the back, ahead of Madrid's front line of the 'press', as they look for an opening through the lines.
A deflected through pass from deep almost causes problems for Madrid but both Militão and Rüdiger guide it back to Courtois as Dortmund approach the Madrid goal.
With just over 15 gone, I'd say it's been even between the two teams, who are still scoping each other out.
Mbappé is taken down by Ryerson on the left wing and Madrid have a chance to whip this one in...
Nice stuff from Dortmund as Gittens slips a dangerously enticing ball behind the Madrid defence towards Guirassy, who saw his name in lights before seeing Courtois crashing towards him to collect the ball.
Dortmund are doing well to keep the ball and take the sting out of the early pressure from the white shirts. While I'm here I might as well add that Madrid's front line aren't doing a lot of defensive work...
It's all Real Madrid at the moment, and Dortmund are doing some good ol' fashioned backs-to-the-wall business.
Valverde tries his luck from distance after the corner is sent to the edge of the box. Deflected over...
CHANCE. A defensive header from Dortmund's back line lands at the feet of Mbappé a few yards out, who smashes the ball towards goal. It's deflected wide.
A half-chance for Madrid as they take the free-kick quickly towards Lucas, whose cross is sliced at by Mbappé inside the box.
Bellingham tries a nice one-two with Mbappé through the middle but he's brought down by Sabitzer.
Ryerson does well to stick a foot in and stop Modric's through ball towards Vinicius. Dortmund attack down their right and fire the ball towards Guirassy, who smashes a shot into Courtois' grasp. It's simple stuff for the goalkeeper, however.
Madrid's first attack comes from a delicious long ball from Militão aimed at Vini Jr, who takes it down and drives inside, winning a corner. Dortmund defend.
Lucas wins the first clash against Gittens down the wing, swiping the ball from his feet as he charges away. That could be a tasty battle...
Guirassy is tempted to chase a clipped ball over the top from Nmecha, but Courtois is quick off his line to collect.
Right from the off it's Valverde sitting as the deepest midfielder and Modric behind Mbappé; Bellingham is somewhere in between as Dortmund tap the ball around.
AND WE'RE OFF!
The away side get us going.
Madrid in all white; Dortmund in yellow and black.
Here come the players!
The 22 players step out onto the Bernabéu pitch!
The players are in the tunnel!
We're almost ready to go!
Final reminder of the XIs:
If you've just joined us, you're just in time:
REAL MADRID
GK: Courtois
DEF: Vázquez - Militão - Rüdiger - Mendy
MID: Bellingham - Valverde - Modric
ATT: Rodrygo - Mbappé - Vini Jr
BVB
GK: Kobel
DEF: Bensebaini - Schlotterbeck - Süle - Ryerson
MID: Nmecha - Sabitzer - Malen - Brandt - Gittens
ATT: Guirassy
Ten to go!
The teams are in the dressing rooms and the atmosphere is building at the Bernabéu! What a noise we've got inside the ground!
FT: AC Milan 3-1 Club Brugge
After a slight injury scare, Pulisic managed to finish the game against the Belgians as he saw his team run out winners in Italy.
Team warmups are coming to a conclusion
Both sides are coming to the end of their warmups on the Bernabéu pitch as we move closer to kick-off.
Ancelotti has explained the absence of Tchouaméni:
"I don't want to kill the players; Tchouaméni played 2 games for France."
So, it's not tactical, according to the Italian coach.
A new-look BVB for the game:
Despite only playing each other a few months ago, a lot has changes regarding the Dortmund lineup this season. Edin Terzic has gone from the bench, with Nuri Sahin bringing in new faces that mean we've got 5 players absent from the XI that started the game at Wembley:
Fullkrug, Sancho, Reus, Hummels, Maatsen
Leon Kuegeler / REUTERS
Who to watch: Serhou Guirassy
Guirassy has been in fine form for a couple of seasons now, and propelled VfB Stuttgart all the way to second in the Bundesliga last season, scoring 28 goals in the process.
Since joining Dortmund, he's bagged 4 goals in the league and 3 in the Champions League.
Playing against Militão and Rüdiger will be a huge challenge for the forward, but he'll surely be relishing the chance to test himself against the elite defensive pairing at the Bernabéu tonight.
REAL MADRID ARE ON THE PITCH!
But it's not time to go just yet, they're getting their warmups underway.
How will Real Madrid line up?
OK, so we know how they'll line up, but we're not entirely sure how Real Madrid will set up tactically without a designated number 6 in the starting side.
My best guess is that Carlo will go with both Valverde and Bellingham as a double pivot with Luka Modric playing a lot closer to the front 3, and even possibly joining Mbappé in the press.
A reminder of the starting XIs:
Real Madrid
GK: Courtois
DEF: Vázquez - Militão - Rüdiger - Mendy
MID: Bellingham - Valverde - Modric
ATT: Rodrygo - Mbappé - Vini Jr
BVB
GK: Kobel
DEF: Bensebaini - Schlotterbeck - Süle - Ryerson
MID: Nmecha - Sabitzer - Malen - Brandt - Gittens
ATT: Guirassy
UPDATE: AC Milan 3-1 Club Brugge
It's that man Reijnders again, who gets the third of the night for the Italians.
Carlo's pre-game quotes:
Borussia has changed, yes, because they have a new coach and some new players. They maintain the same football philosophy—an intense team that plays well with individual and collective quality. It's a match against a demanding opponent because not long ago they played the final against us.
We're not at 100%, obviously. I think we've had good results, but we need to improve in terms of play, both defensively and offensively, and we'll do it little by little.
We're satisfied with Bellingham's work. I'm very pleased because he works hard on the pitch, always present; he's a competitor who fights and sacrifices himself. The truth is he hasn't scored like last year; the surprise isn't this year but last year when he scored a lot of goals that no one expected, which helped us a lot. The issue this year isn't that we're missing Bellingham's goals; quite the opposite.
We need to work more on being compact as a team. Sometimes we aim to press high, but the automatisms aren't fully there yet. I think we've done very well when opponents play out from the back with the goalkeeper. Our high press has been good in almost all matches. We lack a bit of solidity when we have a low to medium defensive block. There, the team loses some solidity.
Champions League top scorers:
1. Kane (4 goals)
2. Guirassy, Adeyemi, Sima, Sesko (3)
6. Vlahovic, Gittens, Olise, Lewandowski, Wirtz, Akturkoglu, Kokcu, Kairinen, Maeda (2)
Here's a look at all tonight's games:
We've got fellow LaLiga side Girona taking on Slovan Bratislava and as for the Bundesliga representation, it's Stuttgart away at Juventus.
Madrid are inside the ground...
They'll be warming up on the pitch soon, as the Madrid squad are now almost ready to go inside the Bernabéu.
A clash of titans!
I'm heavily biased as I love the Spanish capital, but the Madrid sunsets are simply superb at this time of year.
UCL score update: AC Milan are back in front!
Tijjani Reijnders has struck past the Brugge goalkeeper from inside the box to give the advantage back to the home side.
Sahin returns to the Bernabéu
Borussia Dortmund manager Nuri Sahin signed for Real Madrid in 2011 and played a total of 10 times for club, with loan stints at Liverpool and BVB in between. He left in 2014 after having scored 1 goal and managed 1 assist for the Spanish club as they failed to get past the Champions League semi-finals under José Mourinho.
As for his time at Dortmund, he played 274 times, scoring 26 times and getting 49 assists for the Germans.
Here's how the visitors line up:
It's a top-class lineup from Sahin, who goes full strength against Los Blancos.
Thibaut Courtois pre-game:
Everyone's attitude is at its best. All 11 of us out on the pitch try to defend and the opposition try to cause you problems, move you out of position and then put the ball in behind your back. I think sometimes it's about communicating when to press and how, and all 11 of us have to do it together. If one comes out early and the other doesn't follow, it creates gaps and nowadays a lot of teams can punish you.
That's what we're trying to put right in training. We may not have done so well the other day, but that's why we have the video analysis with the coach to correct it.
Borussia Dortmund form guide:
Oct 18: Dortmund 2-1 St Pauli
Oct 5: Union Berlin 2-1 Dortmund
Oct 1: Dortmund 7-1 Celtic
Sep 27: Dortmund 4-2 Bochum
Sep 22: Stuttgart 5-1 Dortmund
Club Brugge have equalised against AC Milan!
A great goal from Sabbe draws things level in Italy.
We've got a live feed up and running, thanks to our friends at Opta.
Real Madrid form guide:
Oct 19: Celta Vigo 1-2 Real Madrid
Oct 5: Real Madrid 2-0 Villarreal
Oct 2: Lille 1-0 Real Madrid
Sep 29: Atlético Madrid 1-1 Real Madrid
Sep 24: Real Madrid 3-2 Alavés
Madrid arrive at the stadium!
Madrid's brand new team bus has arrived at the Santiago Bernabéu!
Alexandre Simoes / Borussia Dortmund via Getty Imag
Bellingham faces former side
Jude's back playing against his former side once again as Dortmund are welcomed to Spain.
Bellingham moved to Real Madrid in the summer last year for a fee of around $100 million and got off to a flying start at the club, scoring goals for fun and becoming a fan favourite after a few weeks.
For the Germans, he played 132 times, scoring 24 goals and getting 25 assists.
What time does Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund start?
The Champions League matchday-three game between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund will be played at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid, Spain, on Tuesday October 22, 2024. Kick-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET/12 noon PT.
How can I watch Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund?
Viewers in the United States can watch Madrid vs Dortmund on TUDN USA, UniMás, Paramount+ and Vix. You can stream TUDN and UniMás on the online platform fubo, which offers new users a free trial.
Where are Real Madrid?
Eek, look away, Real Madrid fans. Los Blancos' loss to Lille has them down in 17th place in the new-look Champions League, alongside big-hitters, PSG, Barcelona and Bayern.
A win today would have them move up towards mid-table, which would calm fears at the Santiago Bernabéu. But it's early doors, so there's no need to get antsy just yet.
| T | MP | W | D | L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 16 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 17 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 18 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 19 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
We don't have the BVB lineup just yet, but we do know one thing: Gio Reyna will play no part at the Bernabéu.
The USMNT winger remains sidelined after sustaining an injury during international duty in mid-September, ruling him out of today's match against Real Madrid. The 21-year-old returned to Germany early after picking up the injury in training, causing him to miss a 2-1 defeat to Canada and a 1-1 draw with New Zealand in two friendly matches.
The player suffered a groin strain that has kept him out for longer than the “few week” expected by Nuri Sahin, the manager of Borussia Dortmund.
Who's top of the league?
Well, would you look at that, it’s only today’s visitors at the top of the tree going into the game at the Bernabéu.
Dortmund’s thrashing of Celtic in the previous round has their goal difference sky high as it's propelled them to the top of the Champions League table as we go into the game tonight.
| T | MP | W | D | L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Here's a peek inside Real Madrid's new-look dressing room
Los Blancos have been given a dressing room makeover, with framed shirts marking out who sits where. Their team bus has also been given a facelift, and looks even more expensive than the 5-star travel they were previously using.
Follow all the action as it happens from the iconic San Siro as the Italians look to get their campaign back on track in Europe. Have a whizz on the link and check it out.
Currently, they're 1-0 up against ten-man Brugge after a 0.00xG goal from Captain America.
Carvajal's injury having an impact
The shocking, triple-ligament-break inCarvajal’s right knee has seen him undergo surgery and say goodbye to the rest of the season.
The defender went down after swinging for the ball late in the game against Villarreal CF and tests quickly determined the worst.
Real Madrid moved to extend his contract which ran out at the end of the current season but it’s a long road ahead for a player that brought so much to Carlo Ancelotti’s side over the years.
FRIEDEMANN VOGEL / EFE
How Dortmund's campaign is going
Club Brugge 0-3 BVB:
It was a strong start for Dortmund in the Champions League this season with a solid 0-3 win over Club Brugge in Belgium. However, things weren’t as easy as the scoreline suggests, with the home side having more shots than their opponents, despite having just over 35% of the possession on the night. Late goals from Jamie Gittens (not related to our Will) and Guirassy, all after the 75th minute, sealed three points for the 23/24 finalists.
BVB 7-1 Celtic:
The Scottish side were humiliated against a rampant German team that threw seven goals past them to a jubilant crowd in Dortmund. Karim Adeyemi was the star on the night netting a hat-trick but the story was more about how poor Celtic were than how good Dortmund played as they waltzed through the midfield and defence of their sorry opponents.
FRANCK FIFE / AFP
Real Madrid's Champions League so far...
Real Madrid 3-1 VfB Stuttgart:
Real Madrid’s Champions League debut for the 24/25 season got off to a good start, with a 3-1 home win over Stuttgart. However, it wasn’t all easy on the night, with Thibaut Courtois making brilliant save after brilliant save to keep the Germans at bay.
LOSC Lille 1-0 Real Madrid:
Here, in the second game, Los Blancos were outright poor and fell to a 1-0 loss to a spirited French side who beat them in every department on the night. Kylian Mbappé was unable to make an impact off the bench, and the on-pitch failure puts the pressure on tonight’sgame.
Wow! We didn't see that one coming from Carlo!
Ancelotti has dropped both Camavinga and Tchouaméni, opting for a midfield of Modric, Bellingham and Fede Valverde. Let's see who plays as the holding midfielder of those three, as I can't decide!
Those eagle-eyed among you will have a sense of deja-vu now, and you’d be right. Real Madrid went up against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final last season, with Los Blancos coming away 2-0 winners, thanks to goals from Vini Jr and Dani Carvajal.
It was a closely contested game, but the Spanish team know how to win games in the Champions League, and they simply don’t lose finals.
Carlo Ancelotti secured Madrid’s 15th European Cup and cemented himself further into the history books.
Today’s a new season and a new story altogether, with Nuri Sahin taking over from Edin Terzic and his Dortmund side looking threatening when things go well. Add to this the wobbles Madrid have had and you’ve got yourself one intriguing game…
When does the game start?
The Champions League match-up kicks off today, Tuesday October 22, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. ET/12 noon PT. Viewers in the United States can watch Madrid vs Dortmund on TUDN USA, UniMás, Paramount+ and Vix.
Possible Real Madrid starting XI:
Let’s get in there before Ancelotti, although at this stage of his career he might as well announce the lineups a day before, since he usually goes incredibly early. Anyway, here’s what we at AS think he’ll go with, but who knows with Carletto?
Courtois; Vázquez, Militão, Rüdiger, Mendy; Camavinga/Tchouaméni, Valverde, Bellingham; Rodrygo/Modric, Vinicius and Mbappé.
Who’s the ref?
Well, it’s lucky boy István Kovács who is taking control of the clash in central Spain.
The Romanian is a seasoned pro at this level, having overseen top games at both national and international level, including high-stakes Champions League and Europa League ties.
Kovác’s assistant referees at the Bernabéu will be countrymen Mihai Marica and George Florin Neacsu. The fourth official will be Marcel Brisan, also Romanian.
Team news: BVB
The Germans come to Spain without a few key names: First of all, USMNT forward Gio Reyna is still not back in action after injuring himself back in September.
The player suffered a groin strain that has kept him out for longer than the “few weeks” which is what manager Nuri Sahin (yes, that Nuri Sahin) said, erm, over a few weeks ago.
They're also without Karim Adeyemi, Yan Couto and Julien Duranville.
Team news: Real Madrid
Are you a defender? Do you have shin pads? Well, you could play for Real Madrid!
OK, it’s not that easy, but the injury‘crisis’ at the back of Real Madrid’s starting XI has been enough for Madridistas to watch their previous few games through squinted eyes, with Dani Carvajal’s absence looking like a huge hole in the side.
They’re also without David Alaba who just can’t get better and further up the pitch, Brahim Díaz is also on recovery watch.
Welcome!
Hello and a warm welcome to Spain’s capital city as Real Madrid welcome German opponents Borussia Dortmund in the group - sorry - league stage of the UEFA Champions League!
It’s Joe here today to bring you all the action as it unfolds at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. We should be kicking off in around 90 minutes from now.