Which position would you rather be in heading into the Champions League final?
Would you side with Bayern Munich? They won the German league by a distance, conquered all before them this season and go into this defining match as odds-on favourites. There aren’t too many people who can envisage them being beaten.
Or would you choose Borussia Dortmund? Jurgen Klopp’s side have not managed to win a domestic trophy... and finished 25 points behind Bayern in the Bundesliga. It all points to the Wembley showdown being one-sided, doesn’t it? Well, not in my view.
This could be one of the closest finals we have seen in recent years and Dortmund are not the 7-2 shots that bookmakers suggest. If anything, Bayern will be the more apprehensive of the two sides. They, after all, have everything to lose. Dortmund have it all to gain.
Dortmund are in a similar position to the one we experienced with Liverpool on this day exactly eight years ago.
Nobody gave us a chance of beating AC Milan in Istanbul, so that meant we could enjoy the occasion. Winning the biggest trophy in club football went beyond our wildest dreams.
Bayern, in contrast, will in some ways be dreading this match as the pressure on them is immense.
Dortmund have had the edge in recent years — they are undefeated in the past six Bundesliga games and secured last year’s German Cup with a 5-2 win. Bayern, meanwhile, have lost two of the past three Champions League finals.
Having that sequence extended to three out of four would be a major embarrassment.
Bayern Munich are THE club in Germany and to lose the prize they crave most to a team from their own country would be a savage blow to their esteem.
I have been greatly impressed by Dortmund this year. For a retirement present, I was treated by a few Liverpool players to a trip to the Bernabeu earlier this month to watch the second leg of their semi-final against Real Madrid, and the vantage point we had was perfect to see everything at which Dortmund excel.
They have incredible pace, intensity and quality — I read a superb magazine article on Klopp earlier this year and the thing I took from it was how much he wants his players to run — and they swarmed all over Madrid, to the extent that Jose Mourinho had to substitute Xabi Alonso to deal with it.
In Marco Reus, they have a player who — in my opinion — has only been outperformed in the Champions League this year by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
It has been said Mario Gotze’s thigh injury will damage Dortmund’s chances, but losing Reus would have been a significantly worse headache for Klopp.
Gotze was spotted looking at property in Munich, ahead of his move there next season, and the reaction to him has not been good from Dortmund supporters. Would his head have been in the right place for this game? His absence may now work in his side’s favour.
As big a fan as I am of Dortmund, however, Bayern’s claims are there for all to see. Myself and Dietmar Hamann, who used to play for them, began calling Bayern ‘The Grinders’ a few years ago because they always get the job done.
They have incredible mental strength and to come back from the disappointment they endured 12 months ago — losing to Chelsea in front of their own fans — is a notable achievement. Some teams may never have got over such a defeat.
Given that Pep Guardiola is taking over as manager next season and the way they have spent — they have paid out more than £100million in the past two summers, compared to Dortmund, who have spent in the region of £30m — you can see why it is being said they are on the verge of dominating European football.
Let’s not think, however, that Germany is significantly ahead of all the other leagues.
Yes, it is very good, but it reminds me of the way the Premier League was five years ago — big, strong sides that can press with great intensity but have the skill to match. However, had it not been for a linesman’s mistake in the quarter-finals, Spain would have had three teams in the last four of the Champions League. I believe the two best teams in the competition will contest the final but Dortmund came perilously close to losing to Malaga in the last eight.
Bayern, on the other hand, have made relentless progress through the competition and the way they demolished Barcelona in the semi-finals was exceptional.
I don’t think they touched the ball in the first 15 minutes of the first leg but kept their composure and then ran Barcelona into the ground. There should not, though, be such a discrepancy in the way the respective chances of each side are viewed.
Bayern have strength in depth and are slight favourites but Dortmund have had their measure in recent times — and you wouldn’t bet against them doing it one more time.
Source: Mail Online
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