Madrid (AFP) — Real Madrid, whether they like to acknowledge it or not, is undoubtedly the favorite to defeat Borussia Dortmund on Saturday and take home a record-tying 15th Champions League trophy.
Not only are the Germans surprising finalists, but the rulers of Europe would be feeling the same way no matter who was in the other team.
Another triumph on the biggest stage would be the perfect showcase of their power and prestige to superstar striker Kylian Mbappe, set to join from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer.
Madrid plays with confidence in their ability to win, but they also have the humility to understand that this will take some ‘how’ flexibility.
They proved as much by playing with their backs to the wall and winning on penalties against champions Manchester City in the quarterfinals.
After behind, they pulled off a legendary last-minute stunner against Bayern Munich to go to the championship game. Carlo Ancelotti’s team’s late braces came from substitute Joselu.
Just when opponents begin to think they can’t win, that they are finally lost, that they are out, that’s precisely when comeback specialists Madrid strike.
“We’re not thinking about whether we’re favourites, but about playing against a team that deserves it too,” Madrid coach Ancelotti told reporters Monday.
“We know that we will have to suffer and fight like in all finals.”
With five victories in the past ten years, Madrid has created an incredible European hegemony.
With seven wins overall, the most recent of which occurred 17 years ago, AC Milan is the team that comes closest to Los Blancos.
Ancelotti identified the club’s president as one of the main causes of Madrid’s supremacy.
The Italian stated previously in May, “There is a captain here, and his name is Florentino Perez.” “The rest of us are sailors.”
Madrid’s most recent period of success has been anchored by the chief, notwithstanding their obsession with the European Cup began a long time before his rule.
When the competition was started in the 1950s, Madrid adapted to it like a duck to water, with Santiago Bernabeu leading the team at the time.
Between 1956 and 1960, they were the tournament’s first five-time winners.
“Madrid’s history is born in the 50s, in this competition,” said Ancelotti.
“It’s a competition where you concentrate more, you are more focused.”
Madrid scored a sixth in 1966, but it took them almost thirty years to score a seventh, which they did in 1998 following a victory over Juventus.
The eighth occurred shortly after, against Valencia in 2000, and before Perez was elected president of Madrid.
