Borussia Dortmund take on Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League final, on Sunday at the Wembley Stadium in London. For Dortmund fans, all eyes will be on Marco Reus, who will be featuring in his final match as a player, but is expected to start on the bench.
Meanwhile, Madrid will be aiming to clinch a record-extending 15th Champions League title. Speaking to Hindustan Times during a media interaction, former Liverpool and ex-Scotland midfielder Don Hutchison labelled Vinicius Junior as the player to watch in the final.
“I am a massive fan of Vinicius Jr. I love watching the kid play. I think he excites, he is like an old school player like Figo and Ronaldinho. This kid has got the x-factor,” he said.
“He plays the game with a smile on his face. He has got the trickery, he has got the pace, he is a lovely player to watch, fantastic balance as well, so plenty of star players on the show. If I had to pick one, I’d pick Vinicious Jr,” he added.
Madrid will also be seeking their sixth UCL title in the last 11 seasons. They have lost only twice in 54 matches across all competitions this season, and clinched the La Liga title by 10 points, and also sealed a 4-1 win vs Barcelona to claim the Spanish Super Cup.
On the other hand, Dortmund have struggled this season and finished at fifth place in the Bundesliga standings, and were 27 points adrift of winners Bayer Leverkusen. This is Dortmund’s second UCL final since 2013, when they lost to Bayern Munich. In their road to the final this year, they beat Atletico Madrid in the quarter-final, and then defeated PSG in the semi-final. Other than Reus, it will also be Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos’ final match at club level. He is set to retire after Euro 2024.