By Sean Walsh
Real Madrid have the opportunity to take home a record 15th Champions League trophy when they face Borussia Dortmund in this season's final on Saturday.
Carlo Ancelotti has already led Los Blancos to glory in La Liga and can claim a fifth European crown of his own at Wembley this weekend.
A spirited underdog in Dortmund stand between them and the pinnacle of club football, but there are plenty of reasons why Madrid should feel confident in their chances.
Here are just four reasons why Madrid will win this season's Champions League.
A complete mismatch
Very few Champions League finals have presented such an imbalance of quality.
Whereas Madrid finished top of La Liga, Dortmund could only come fifth in the Bundesliga, behind Bayer Leverkusen, Stuttgart, Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig. If it weren't for Germany gaining an extra place via this season's coefficient battle, BVB would not have been assured of a spot in next season's Champions League.
Dortmund teams of yesteryear - even the less successful ones - brought with them a bit more star power and identity. Edin Terzic's troops aren't short in either department, but they don't have the ability to go toe-to-toe with this all-conquering Madrid side. They'll need the performance of their lives to win at Wembley.
Ballon d'Or winners in waiting
The Galacticos era is back in full swing at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Florentino Perez and co have successfully built a team to challenge for top honours for the rest of the decade and beyond.
Leading Los Blancos' charge are Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham, the latter of whom was named La Liga's Player of the Season earlier this week.
Together, they have recorded a combined 46 goals and 23 assists this season. With this year's Ballon d'Or very much up for grabs, it's increasingly likely it will be handed to one of them.
Dortmund's self-implosion
When's the best time to criticise your manager's tactics and club's paradoxical philosophy? Why, days before the Champions League final, of course!
Dortmund legend Mats Hummels didn't hold back in an interview with BILD this week, aiming a sly dig at Terzic for some of the team's performances this year.
"I was furious because I felt that Borussia Dortmund should never perform like that - against any opponent in the world. I felt it couldn't go on like this. I felt humiliated to stand on the pitch in this jersey, so submissive, so football-wise inferior," he said.
"The two Stuttgart games, and also the away game in Leverkusen, were about barricading with 11 men in the penalty area."
How's that squad harmony, lads?
History
There is not a weight of expectation that comes with wearing the white of Real Madrid, but an empowering confidence. They are the Champions League's club, and when they get to this stage in the modern era, there's only ever one outcome.
Madrid have been to 17 finals, winning 14 of them - including a current streak of eight in a row. By contrast, Dortmund have only played in two and their most recent outing in this fixture saw them beaten at Wembley by rivals Bayern back in 2013.
The on-field and off-field battles both heavily favour Madrid - Dortmund winning would be one of the greatest shocks in sporting history.
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This article was originally published on 90min.com as Why Real Madrid will win the Champions League.
