By Alex Al-Kazzaz
The 2024 UEFA Champions League final is set. Real Madrid will take on Borussia Dortmund on the first of June at Wembley Stadium in London, England. What started with 32 competitors is now down to two. Only one of those two will be crowned champions of Europe. However, it's rather unfortunate that the world isn't getting the final it truly dreamed of: Paris Saint-Germain vs Real Madrid.
Paris Saint-Germain messed up in both legs against Dortmund. Their inability to score is their biggest blunder, and it's what led to their elimination. Losing 2-0 on aggregate is embarrassing for Les Parisiens, considering all the scoring chances that PSG failed to take advantage of. Dortmund's solid defense and resiliency can't be overlooked. Frankly, Dortmund proved that they were the better team, and they proved it on the pitch. Real Madrid and Bayern Munich battled it out, knowing that one could easily outplay the other. When Bayern Munich thought Real Madrid had underestimated them, it turned out to be the other way around; Bayern Munich underestimated Real Madrid and paid the price. And underestimating is NOT Bayern Munich's M.O.
Kylian Mbappé's struggles speak for themselves. While he's not entirely at fault, he took responsibility for his team's failure. Saying PSG was unlucky isn't out of the question, though Mbappé feels that he and his team were just not good enough rather than being unlucky. Mbappé's contract ends this summer, but the French forward didn't confirm if he officially played in his final game with Paris Saint-Germain. However, earlier this year, he informed the club of his intentions to leave this summer.
Here are two lessons the world learned from the UCL final four: First, PSG is untrustworthy, though that's a recurring lesson because, at times, Les Parisiens play well enough to convince many that they can be trusted. Second, never count Real Madrid out. Manchester City thought they had them beaten in the final four two years ago. What happened? Bayern Munich thought they had it under control, but Real Madrid proved otherwise. Lessons learned? Highly unlikely.
Dortmund is in the final for the first time since 2013, when they lost to Bayern Munich. The club is seeking its first UCL triumph since 1997. On the other hand, Real Madrid is looking to win its sixth title in ten years. Los Blancos' last triumph was two years ago and they're determined to win their 15th UCL title. If Real Madrid wins it all, they'll achieve another treble.
Opmerkingen