Champions League Final: What the statistics tell us about the Wembley showpiece
It's the 18th time for Real Madrid and the third for Borussia Dortmund after the German side won their maiden crown in 1997 against Juventus and then lost against rivals Bayern Munich in 2013. This year's Wembley showdown will be the first ever between the two teams in the final.
BVB and Los Blancos have met 15 times in the competition, the last coming back in 2017 during the group stage (two wins out of two for Real), while the Germans' last success came in 2014 - a 2-0 victory in the second leg of their quarter-final clash.
Thanks to data from Opta Data Insights, we have collected some statistics ahead of Saturday's match.
Real favourites
According to Opta, Real Madrid are favourites in the final, having a 63.5% chance of victory.
In this year's edition of the Champions League, Carlo Ancelotti's men are still undefeated. They have won eight games and drawn four. If successful, Real would equal Barcelona's 2005/2006 record.
Dortmund on the other hand, arrive at the showpiece event with two defeats. PSG in the group stage and then Atletico Madrid in the quarters.
Kroos for history
Just like Marco Reus, compatriot Toni Kroos recently announced that he will be leaving his respective club at the end of the campaign. It will also be the final club match of his career, bringing an end to a 10-year relationship with Real.
Kroos, if he plays, will take part in his 465th game with the newly crowned Spanish champions, and in the event of victory, will become the first player to triumph in his final Champions League game since Xavi in 2015.
For Kroos, this is final number seven, although he was injured in 2013.
The former Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen man has completed 10,004 passes in his 150 Champions League appearances, more than anyone since 2003/04.
Hummels the everpresent
Mats Hummels was a surprise omission from Germany's Euro 2024 squad, a decision that the German centre-back did not take very well, so he will end his season at Wembley.
After scoring in the semi-final against PSG, the defender is aiming for an impressive record. The 35-year-old has not missed a single minute in the Champions League this season, and should he play the full match in the final, he will be the first outfield player to have not missed a minute of action since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2017/18.
In addition to goals, Hummels had stood out for tackles. He has made 48 in this edition of the tournament, the most for a single player since Inter's Lucio in 2009/10 (53).
Hummels, along with Reus, was present at Wembley in 2013 when Borussia Dortmund lost to Bayern Munich.
Dortmund indebted to Kobel
Borussia Dortmund have their goalkeeper to thank for making it to the final, conceding just nine goals along the way. Gregor Kobel has been immense between the sticks, saving 84% of the shots he's faced in the competition (42/50).
Watch out for Vini
Will the Brazilians (Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo) or the English players (Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho) star on Saturday?
Surely one must pay attention to the first on this list, as no one in the last three seasons has scored more goals in the competition than Vinicius Jr.
The Brazilian attacker has scored 16 goals and provided 15 assists, and as many as 17 of the goals he has been involved in have come in the knockout phase of the tournament.
This season he has registered five goals and four assists. If he provides an assist in the final, he will become the first player to score 5+ goals and 5+ assists in two consecutive seasons since Luis Figo with Barcelona and Real Madrid in 1999/00 and 2000/01.
