Is it allowed to dream, Borussia Dortmund?

We are facing one of the most uneven Champions League finals (in terms of predictions) in the history of the competition. This Saturday, Real Madrid, the great monarch of the European tournament, will face Borussia Dortmund. The ‘Merengues’ for the 15th time and the Germans for the 2nd. That’s how big the distance between these two teams seems to be.

But how dangerous is it to arrive in such a favorable condition on paper?

It’s true, Real Madrid is always the favorite in the Champions League. Playing well, poorly, or moderately, and against any opponent. But seldom like this occasion.

Let’s start with the hard fact; Real Madrid has played 17 finals in its career and has won 14 of them. That is, over 80% of the time it reached this stage, it returned home with the trophy. On the other side, Borussia Dortmund has played 2, with a record of 1 win and 1 loss. Slight difference, isn’t it?

In their favor, the only title obtained by the ‘bees’ occurred in a scenario similar to what they will experience this Saturday at Wembley. It was in 1997 when they faced the powerful Juventus of Marcelo Lippi. The reigning Champions League champions with: Zidane, Vieri, Deschamps, Peruzzi, and Del Piero (among other stars) on the field. That ‘Juve’ had won absolutely everything in those years and was undoubtedly the top favorite for the title.

They say in football, nothing is written, and two lapses from the Bianconeri squad resulted in the score being 0-2 against them in less than 5 minutes. A disadvantage they couldn’t overcome.

And this is what the German team aspires to once again. After all, from the beginning of the season, no one saw them beyond the group stage, and today they sleep in London. Few remember that they shared a group with PSG, Newcastle, and Milan. Initially, a large majority saw them out, and they ended up topping the so-called “group of death”.

Their great preliminary phase earned them a match against a lower-ranked opponent in the Round of 16 like PSV, then, in the quarter-finals, they faced Atletico Madrid, and in the semi-finals, PSG. Truth be told, nobody really paid attention to them. Well, to this day, they still don’t. Can’t they really be given a chance?

The odds for Borussia to lift the trophy are 4 times the investment, as a demonstration of the significant difference in the predictions.

But the Champions League, as incredible as it may sound, has often been more relevant for the stories of the ‘smaller’ teams than for those of the giants. Benfica and Celtic in the 60s. Nottingham Forest in ’79. Aston Villa defeating the mighty Bayern Munich in the ’81-82 season. And what about Steaua Bucharest when they defeated, against all odds, Barcelona in ’86.

And we can continue with Porto, Red Star Belgrade, and even Borussia Dortmund themselves. It’s true, the odds are lower, especially when facing the great king of the competition, who hasn’t lost a final since 1981.

Even though the Spaniards are normally the top favorites. In recent finals, there has always been room for doubt. Against Liverpool (x2), Juventus, Atletico Madrid (x2). Today, for some, it seems like there’s no room for such doubts and that the trophy is already sleeping in the Santiago Bernabeu. Fans might feel secure, but not necessarily the players.

Despite the fact that the recent 5 Champions League victories might suggest otherwise, the body and mind are not so easily manipulated. Deep down, the Real Madrid squad knows they are superior. And avoiding relaxation is one of the most difficult tasks for any high-performance athlete. In their favor, their great leader knows how to manage these situations like few others. If anyone can lead the group to another Champions League, it’s Carlo Ancelotti.

6 Champions in 10 years?

If they achieve the title, we will be witnessing one of the greatest feats in the history of world football. And perhaps, something that will never be repeated. Not even in the glorious eras of Ajax, Bayern, Liverpool, Milan, and Barcelona have we seen anything like it.

It’s inexplicable that there is such superiority when the resources are not so different among many of the participants. In reality, if we talk about resources, it’s precisely in this golden era of the white team that clubs like Manchester City and PSG have been above them in terms of budget.

As they say, there are things that money can’t buy.

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