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As Borussia Dortmund gears up for the ultimate test in Saturday’s Champions League final, they face a Real Madrid team brimming with stars and the anticipation of claiming their 15th European championship at Wembley.

The Spanish behemoths, with an unmatched record in the competition, are the top contenders, facing a Dortmund team that has defied expectations to secure their place in London.

Real Madrid’s consistent ability to secure wins when it counts in the Champions League has been showcased throughout their campaign to the final.

Led by Carlo Ancelotti, Madrid overcame a fierce challenge from the current champions Manchester City in the quarter-finals, prevailing in a penalty shootout, and then staged a dramatic comeback against Bayern Munich at the Santiago Bernabeu in the semi-finals.

With a season to remember, the Spanish champions head to London with justified confidence.

Madrid’s remarkable season includes only two defeats in 54 matches across all competitions, a dominant La Liga championship win by 10 points, and a resounding 4-1 victory over Barcelona to win the Spanish Super Cup.

Jude Bellingham, a midfielder for Madrid who transferred from Dortmund a year prior, shared his winning mindset: “I moved here with the intention to win, and I anticipated success. It may sound overly ambitious, but such confidence is necessary when surrounded by exceptional talent.”

Bellingham’s transfer highlights the significant challenge Dortmund faces.

Initially discovered as a young prospect at Birmingham in the English Championship, he was honed by Dortmund before being acquired by Madrid for a staggering fee of over 100 million euros ($109 million).

Without Bellingham, Dortmund has faced a tough domestic season, ending up fifth in the Bundesliga, 27 points behind Bayer Leverkusen.

However, Edin Terzic’s team has showcased their best in the Champions League, advancing to the final for the third time in the club’s history and the first since their Wembley defeat to Bayern Munich 11 years ago.

Dortmund conquered the challenging ‘group of death,’ which included Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, and Newcastle, and went on to defeat PSV Eindhoven and Atletico Madrid. Their commendable defensive performance in the semi-finals secured their victory over PSG in two legs.

While successfully neutralizing Kylian Mbappe, who is set to join Real Madrid, was noteworthy in the semi-finals, Dortmund acknowledges the necessity to step up their game to hand Madrid their first European final defeat since 1983.

Terzic, who transitioned from a Dortmund supporter to head coach, emphasized their ambition: “Our objective was not merely to reach the final; we aim to conquer the Champions League. To do so, we must defeat the reigning champions. We are now up against the most celebrated champion in football history, particularly in this tournament—the ultimate adversary.”