Former Dynamo midfielder and current coach and expert Serhii Kovalets told us what he expects from the Champions League final of the 2023/24 season, which will be played today in London between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid.
-Sergiy Ivanovich, what should we expect from theBorussiavs Real Madrid match?
- First of all, I would like to note that hardly any of the experts or fans expected to see such a pair in the Champions League final. It would have been more predictable to expect Man City or PSG there. However, the teams that strategically built their game to achieve the desired result ended up in the decisive match.
"Real Madrid is a club that is always in the favourites of any tournament, it has won the most Champions League victories, and the experience of their coach Carlo Ancelotti only adds to the team's power. But Borussia, which beat Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, created a sensation. This will be the highlight of the final.
- Is Real Madrid theabsolutefavourite for the final match?
- I wouldn't be so categorical. If the final consisted of two matches, the Spaniards would be considered absolute favourites.
But in one game, anything can happen. Now I would say that the chances of the teams are 50-50.
-Who, in your opinion, will control the ball more and play as number one?
- Borussia is a more counter-attacking team now, able to quickly move from defence to attack. I think Dortmund will press, meet the opponent high and look for the opponent's mistakes.
As for the coaching duel, Real Madrid has the advantage, because Carlo Ancelotti knows what big matches are. However, the motivation of Borussia's players will probably be even higher than that of Real Madrid.
Everyone is already writing that Madrid will definitely win the Champions League... I just hope it doesn't play a cruel joke on the Spanish team.
- Whowillyou personally be rootingfor ?
- For great football. (Smiles). But I want Real Madrid to win, if only because this team has a Ukrainian footballer. In many ways, it is thanks to Andriy Lunin that Madrid will play in the Champions League final.
-Who will pose the main threat toReal Madrid?
- First of all, from Vinicius Junior, to whom the Bayern players did not pay due attention in the semi-final return leg. The Brazilian drove Kimmich so hard that he will probably remember that match for a long time.
The Germans didn't have proper mutual insurance, and that's why there were fires in the Munich penalty area. Such a performer cannot be left one-on-one with a defender. Let's see how Borussia's players will cope with this.
- You mentioned Lunin, who has been ill for several days. Doesn 't this mean that we won't see the Ukrainian in the Real Madrid squad?
- Absolutely not. Yes, you can read various news, but no one has officially reported anything about it.
Moreover, as far as we know, Andriy was included in the team's official application for the final match, so only Carlo Ancelotti can know the answer to this question.
Still, I want Lunin to play - he deserves it.
-And finally, Iwould like tohear your forecast for the Champions League final.
- I will assume that the main time of the match will end in a draw (1:1), and the fate of the trophy will be decided in extra time. In the end, Real Madrid will be the winner due to the psychological skill of the players, and the Spanish team also has the experience of matches at the highest level.
Yaroslav Pyatnitsky