Real Madrid, nicknamed Los Blancos, will take on Borussia Dortmund, aka Die Borussen, in the UEFA Champions League match on Wednesday, October 23, at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid, Spain. It will be the third game of the season for both teams.
In the last edition, Real Madrid defeated Dortmund 2–0 in the finals, to lift their 15th European Cup.
Borussia Dortmund have been undefeated so far this season. They are at the top in the 2024/25 season standings with six points to their name. Real Madrid have won and lost one game each and are in 17th place.
Will Dortmund continue their winning campaign? Or will Real Madrid dominate the game? Here are the team previews, head-to-head stats, and odds for the UEFA Champions League – Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund match.
Real Madrid: Analysis and Team Preview
Real Madrid defeated Atalanta in the final of the UEFA Super Cup on August 14 and became the most successful team in the tournament’s history. Federico Valverde scored the first goal in the 59th minute to open the account for Real Madrid. It was the debut game for the newest recruit, Kylian Mbappé, who scored the second goal in the 68th minute.
Mbappé left Paris Saint Germain on June 3 this year and has signed a five-year contract with Real Madrid. It happened just two days after Real Madrid defeated Borussia Dortmund in the final of the last edition of the Champions League.
The Los Blancos signed Brazilian midfielder Endrick from Palmeiras on a six-year deal. They also permanently signed, Joselu, the 34-year-old Spanish striker. However, he was transferred the very next day to Al-Gharafa SC.
Toni Kroos, the German midfielder announced his retirement from club and international football after UEFA Euro 2024. Kroos’ last appearance was at the 2023/24 finals, where he won his 300th match for Real Madrid.
Centre-backs Rafa Marin and Nacho are the other two players who left the team during the July transfer period. Rafa signed a five-year contract with Seria A club Napoli. Nacho left Real Madrid after playing for 23 years and signed a two-year contract with newly promoted Saudi Pro League side Al-Qadsiah. Moreover, 20-year-old Spanish midfielder, Mario Martin has been loaned out to Real Valladolid on a one-year deal. Defender Dani Carvajal suffered a serious knee injury and will be out of action for at least a year. Meanwhile, midfielder David Alaba and defender Brahim Diaz are also nursing injuries and won’t return till December.
Real Madrid started their campaign in this edition of the Champions League with a 3-1 win over VfB Stuttgart.
The second matchday of the season saw Real Madrid taking on Ligue 1 club, Lille on October 3. Lille won the match by 1-0, courtesy of a penalty goal scored by Jonathan David just before half-time.
Borussia Dortmund: Analysis and Team Preview
Borussia Dortmund are the runners-up from the last edition of the Champions League. The German club has appointed Turkey’s Nuri Şahin as the head coach until June 2027.
In May, Die Borussen announced the signing of 16-year-old Ecuadorian attacking midfielder Justin Lerma. However, due to his young age, Lerma won’t play for the club until he turns 18.
The club has made several changes to their squad. Since July 2024, a total of 11 players have either been transferred, released, or loaned out. The ones who have been loaned are forwards Sébastien Haller (to Leganés until June 2025) and Youssoufa Moukoko (to Nice until June 2025). Defenders Guille Bueno and Soumaila Coulibaly have been loaned to Darmstadt 98 and Brest until June 2025, respectively. Midfielder Salih Özcan has been moved on loan to VfL Wolfsburg until June 2025. On the injuries front, forwards Julien Duranville (thigh injury) and Karim Adeyemi (muscle injury) will be out of action till late November.
Defender Waldemar Anton and striker Serhou Guirassy signed with Borussia Dortmund from VfB Stuttgart in July. Midfielder Kjell Wätjen, who has been a part of Borussia Dortmund academy since 2015, signed a professional contract valid until June 2028.
Striker Maximilian Beier, defender Yan Couto, and midfielder Pascal Groß are among the latest entrants to the club. Couto is now on a permanent loan from Manchester City.
Borussia Dortmund opened their campaign this season with a 3-0 win over Belgian club Club Brugge KV on September 18. On October 1, Die Borussen defeated Celtic FC by 7-1.
Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund: Head-to-Head and Odds
Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund have played a total of 15 matches so far against each other. Borussia Dortmund have won three out of these, while Real Madrid have been victorious on seven occasions. Five out of these 15 matches have ended in a draw.
Real Madrid last faced Borussia Dortmund in the final Champions Trophy 2023/24 final and won by 2-0. It was the first time both teams faced off since the 2017/18 season.
Real Madrid have won three out of the last five games against Borussia Dortmund, while the remaining two matches have ended in a draw. Borussia Dortmund last defeated Los Blancos during the second leg of the quarter-final of the 2013/14 edition of the Champions League. It came after Real Madrid won the first leg 3-0.
Here are the betting odds for the fixture as per 7bet.
| Real Madrid (1) | x | Borussia Dortmund (2) |
| 8/17 | 15/4 | 19/4 |
Please note that the odds are accurate as per the publishing time of the article. Make sure to check the odds before placing a bet.
For more information about betting on this fixture, visit the 7bet Champions League betting page.
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