Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at how Borussia Dortmund could line up for Saturday’s Champions League final against Real Madrid.
Borussia Dortmund go in search of just their second Champions League crown on Saturday evening, when Real Madrid stand in their way of European supremacy at Wembley.
Most of Edin Terzic‘s squad are at full health, but Julien Duranville (muscle) and Ramy Bensebaini (knee) are both sidelined, while Sebastien Haller is still struggling with an ankle problem and is classed as doubtful.
Regardless of Haller’s fitness, the central striker’s spot certainly belongs to Niclas Fullkrug, scorer of Dortmund’s solitary goal in the first leg of their semi-final triumph versus Paris Saint-Germain.
Supporting the Germany international shall be the tricky Karim Adeyemi and Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho, who memorably ran Nuno Mendes ragged with 12 successful dribbles in the first leg of the final four.
Saturday’s final will mark Marco Reus‘s final Dortmund appearance before he heads for the Signal Iduna Park exit door, but Terzic should not take sentimentality into account for his side’s biggest fixture in over a decade.
As a result, Julian Brandt should relegate Reus – part of the 2012-13 Dortmund team that lost to Bayern Munich in the final – to the bench, as Marcel Sabitzer and Emre Can start further back in midfield.
While he also donned the Bayern colours for a brief while, Mats Hummels is the second survivor from Dortmund’s heartbreak 11 years ago and takes his place in defence after rubber-stamping BVB’s 2-0 success over PSG in the semis.
One of the best players to grace the Champions League this season, Hummels joins Nico Schlotterbeck, Julian Ryerson and Ian Maatsen in the brick wall, which shields Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.
Borussia Dortmund possible starting lineup:
Kobel; Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Maatsen; Sabitzer, Can; Sancho, Brandt, Adeyemi; Fullkrug
> Click here to see how Real Madrid could line up for the final
No Data Analysis info