We Don’t Journey This Far To Watch Real Madrid Win – Says Edin Terzic

Coach Edin Terzic, vowed on Friday, on the eve of the Wembley showdown, that Borussia Dortmund did not journey this far in the season’s Champions League just to watch Real Madrid claim the trophy for a record 15th time.

“You don’t play a final, you win a final and that is our clear goal,” Terzic, who will be up against his role model Carlos Ancelotti, told reporters before leading a training session on the pristine turf in northwest London. “We’re happy to be here but we have to win at Wembley Stadium against Real Madrid, to hold that trophy in our hands.”

Few would have anticipated Dortmund reaching their first Champions League final since 2013 when they suffered defeat against favorites Bayern Munich at Wembley, considering they finished fifth in the Bundesliga this season.

Edin Terzic’s team shocked Atletico Madrid in a thrilling quarter-final and then displayed a tactical masterclass by winning both legs of the semi-final against Paris St Germain with a 1-0 scoreline.

“(Real) have a role as the favorites, but we weren’t favorites against Atletico or Paris either,” Terzic said. “If we are brave and not here to see Madrid win their next trophy, then we’re going to have a chance.”

Real Madrid are another step up in class but for Terzic’s side, he says their defensive solidity gives them the chance of winning the trophy for the second time in their history.

“We are the team with the most clean sheets in the competition (this season),” said Terzic, whose side topped the season’s statistics in tackles, clearances, and ball recovery. You need to keep the opposition as far away from the goal as possible. We weren’t at our highest level when we conceded goals in September, but we are a different team now and have shown we are ready to compete for the trophy.”

One of the numerous obstacles to Dortmund’s aspirations is the familiar figure of Jude Bellingham, who departed the club for Real Madrid last year and has made a significant impact in Spain.

“Few players have had contact with Jude. Everyone is in the zone and concentrating on their task,” Dortmund midfielder Julian Brandt, sitting alongside center-back Nico Schlotterbeck, told reporters when asked if Bellingham had been in touch.

The upcoming Saturday’s encounter, marking Dortmund’s 300th European game, will serve as midfielder, Marco Reus’s final appearance in the yellow shirt. Similarly, Madrid’s German midfielder, Toni Kroos, is getting ready for his last club match before retiring post-Euro 2024.

“I was able to play with both of them. Toni is an absolute icon and a sensational guy who has won everything,” Brandt said.

“Marco is also one of the reasons why I play for BVB (Dortmund). He was an idol for me as a child and teenager. It’s still a lot of fun to train and play with him.”

It is bound to be an emotional night but for Schlotterbeck, the focus is crystal clear.

“We kept a clean sheet against Paris twice. That’s not normal. We now also know that we can beat any opponent in the world,” he said.” If we all believe that tomorrow, we also have a good chance of winning.”