Eleven years after losing 2-1 to German rival Bayern Munich in the 2013 Champions League final, Mats Hummels, Marco Reus and Borussia Dortmund have overcome the odds and are heading back to Wembley.
Dortmund’s 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the French capital on Tuesday saw the Germans complete a 2-0 aggregate win, becoming the most unlikely Champions League finalists since Tottenham in 2019.
In the June 1 final in London, Dortmundwill face either Bayern again or 14-time champion Real Madrid. That series stands 2-2 after the first leg in Germany and reaches its conclusion in Madrid on Wednesday.
Drawn in a group with PSG, 2023 semifinalists AC Milan and surprise English side Newcastle, Dortmund were tipped by most not to make it out of the group.
Despite being dominated in a 2-0 loss at the Parc des Princes by PSG in their first group stage match in September, Dortmund recovered to top the group.
Wins over PSV Eindhoven and Atletico Madrid set up a rematch with PSG in the semifinals, where Dortmund — which is set to finish fifth in the Bundesliga after a disappointing domestic campaign — was again considered heavy underdog.
Alongside center-back partner Nico Schlotterbeck, the 34-year-old Hummels stood tall, helping Dortmund keep PSG’s array of attacking talent including their standout forward Kylian Mbappe at bay across both series.
He added a goal of his own in the second leg and was named man of the match by UEFA in both games.
The 2014 World Cup winner, who left Dortmund for Bayern in 2016 wanting to win the Champions League before returning in 2019, is now 90 minutes from winning one of the few trophies he is yet to claim across a glittering career.
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