The UEFA Champions League 2013 final match between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich will kick off at the Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday night. It will be an all German contest with the two teams convincingly sending off Spanish giants - Barcelona and Real Madrid - in the semi-finals.
Overview:
Borussia Dortmund thrashed Real Madrid 4-1 in their semi-final first leg match at German Signal Iduna Park with Robert Lewandowski scoring all the four goals. The Spanish giants bounced back in the second leg with a win but Dortmund made it to the final on 4-3 aggregate.
Jurgen Klopp's side reached the Champions League semi-final without losing any game this season, until Real Madrid did in the semi-finals second leg. They won seven, drew four and loss one out of the 12 matched played this season.
Bayern Munich entered the Champions League final for the third time in four years after thrashing Barcelona in both the semi-final matches this season. They humiliated the four-time Champions League winners 4-0 at home, and 3-0 in an away match to book a place in the final.
The German champions' route to the Champions League final was impressive. They won nine games, drew one and loss two out of the 12 games played this season.
Previous Meeting:
Borussia Dortmund defeated Bayern Munich 5-2 in the DFB-Pokal final last season. Robert Lewandowski scored a hat-trick in the match.
Team News:
Borussia Dortmund: Mario Gotze will miss the final match against Munich due to a thigh injury, giving a big blow to Jurgen Klopp's side. Kevin Grosskreutz is likely to replace him and Marco Reus could assist Robert Lewandowski in the attack.
Defender Lukasz Piszczek is fit to play despite a thigh surgery, so he may feature in the final. Mats Hummels, who met with a minor ankle injury, is also likely to play.
Bayern Munich: Jupp Heynckes' side doesn't have major injury scare. Toni Kroos has been warming the bench since picking up an injury in the quarter-final match. Arjen Robben, Mario Mandzukic and Thomas Muller are expected to lead the attack with Mandzukic in the middle.
Holger Badstuber, who has been missing from action for almost half-a-year due to injury, is likely to be featured in the final. So, Daniel Van Buyten and Jerome Boateng, who played in his absence, would make way for him.
Predcition:
Borussia Dortmund's performance this season has been impressive but Bayern Munich are the favourites to win on Saturday night.
Probable Line-Ups:
Borussia Dortmund: Weidenfeller, Piszczek, Subotic, Hummels, Schmelzer, Gundogan, Bender, Blaszczykowski, Reus, Grosskreutz, Lewandowski
Bayern Munich: Neuer, Lahm, Buyten, Dante, Alaba, Martinez, Schweinsteiger, Robben, Muller, Ribery, Mandzukic
Where to Watch Live
The game will kick off at 12:15 AM IST on Sunday (26 May), and will be telecast live on Ten Action.
