Thibaut Courtois or Andriy Lunin? Carlo Ancelotti names Real Madrid player who will start UCL final
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has revealed that Thibaut Courtois will start the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund, instead of Andriy Lunin. The Italian tactician said as much during his press conference ahead of the major final match at Wembley, which will take place on Saturday, June 1.
There had been uncertainties around who Ancelotti would have to trust for the final, between Courtois and Lunin. The former has readily been Madrid's first-choice goalkeeper, but a season-ending injury early in the campaign saw him on the sidelines throughout. Although Los Blancos signed Kepa Arrizabalaga as a replacement, it was Lunin who took the Bernabeu by storm.
The Ukrainian goalkeeper was trusted to lead Real Madrid to the final of the Champions League from between the sticks. Due to this, there were expectations that Ancelotti would let Lunin see the competition through at the very end. Ancelotti has now confirmed that Lunin will not be starting (via Fabrizio Romano):
“Thibaut Courtois will start tomorrow. Lunin will be on the bench."
The Ukrainian notably fell ill and was unable to train ahead of facing Borussia Dortmund, as he explained on social media (via AP):
“I am very sad to say that I won’t be able to prepare for the most important game of the season and the most important game of my life with my team. Many thanks for the messages of support and encouragement!"
Former Borussia Dortmund player backs club to beat Real Madrid
Borussia Dortmund are widely seen as the underdogs in the UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid, and for fairly understandable reasons. BVB have had a sub-par campaign in Germany, finishing in fifth place. On the other hand, Los Blancos have won La Liga after losing only one game.
However, Patrik Berger is expecting an upset from his former club, as he has backed them to beat the Spanish giants, telling The Daily Mail:
"So it's obvious that a lot of people think that Real Madrid are going to win it again. But don't forget that Borussia Dortmund are a good side with experience... They know that it's only one game, you're not playing home and away, it's just one game. And in one game, they know that anything is possible. I'm sure that they believe that they can beat anybody in one game."
Other BVB fans who have turned up at Wembley for the final will also be looking forward to a potential upset, while Madrid look to secure their 15th Champions League title.