Borussia Dortmund vs. Real Madrid live stream: How to watch the UEFA Champions League final on CBS, Paramount+

After a season full of memorable moments, Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid chase history in Saturday’s UEFA Champions League final at Wembley Stadium.

Real Madrid come into the game as heavy favorites after a season of dominance, both at home and in Europe. They cruised to their first La Liga title since 2022, taking top spot with weeks left in the calendar thanks to a powerful attack that also ensured they would compete in London for their 15th Champions League. Dortmund, meanwhile, come to the British capital as the Cinderella story of the competition. They may have finished fifth in the Bundesliga and will need to win at Wembley to return for next season’s competition, but they have conquered a handful of top teams to reach the top. this point and cannot be underestimated.

Here’s what you need to know before you tune in.

How to watch and odds

• Date: Saturday June 1 | Time: 3:00 PM ET
• Place: Wembley Stadium – London, England
• TV: CBS | Live stream: Biggest+
• Chances: Borussia Dortmund +420; Sign +330; Real Madrid-165

Champions League final broadcast schedule

Always US/East

• Morning Footy, 11am (CBS Sports Golazo Network)
• UEFA Champions League Today, 1:00 PM (CBS Sports Golazo Network, Biggest+)
• UEFA Champions League Today before the match, 1:30 PM (CBS, Biggest+)
• CBS Sports Golazo Match Day, 1:30 p.m. (CBS Sports Golazo Network)
• Borussia Dortmund vs. Real Madrid, 3 p.m. (CBS, Biggest+)
• UEFA Champions League Today after the match, 5.30pm (CBS Sports Network, Biggest+)
• Result, 5:30 PM (CBS Sports Golazo Network)
• The Champions Club, 6:30 p.m. (CBS Sports Golazo Network)

How they got here

Borussia Dortmund: The German team returns to the final for the first time since 2013 – also at Wembley – after an unspectacular domestic campaign, but emerged as something of a giant killer during their European season. Dortmund topped perhaps the strongest group in this season’s Champions League, losing 2-0 to Paris Saint-Germain on the opening day but remaining unbeaten for the next five, beating AC Milan and Newcastle United along the way.

Edin Terzic’s side then made easy work of their 3-1 victory over PSV in the round of 16, subsequently developing a reputation for determination as the tournament progressed. They lost 2–1 at Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the quarter-finals, conceding twice due to defensive errors, but took advantage of their unstable opponents at home to emerge from the draw with a 5–4 aggregate victory. They switched to defensively sound tactics for the semi-final against PSG, shutting out the high-profile attack led by Kylian Mbappe and recording a 2–0 aggregate victory to reach the final.

Marcel Sabitzer is perhaps the team’s standout player in the build-up to Wembley with five assists this season, more than any other player in the competition. Julian Brandt, meanwhile, is among the top five in terms of chances created with 24 and Niclas Fullkrug is 11th in the Champions League for expected goals with 3.83 and leads the team with three goals in the competition this season.

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Gregor Kobel was lightly in goal, especially with his performance against PSG.

Real Madrid: If Dortmund are the giant slayers, then Real Madrid are the titular giants of this season’s competition. Despite any obvious weaknesses, Carlo Ancelotti’s side came out on top on every occasion, going into the final on the back of an unbeaten season in Europe and just one defeat on the way to their La Liga triumph. There’s a sense of inevitability for them in London, considering how the available talent has saved them time and time again.

They led a group with Napoli, Braga and Union Berlin with relative ease, but were sometimes wasteful up top and on other occasions lacked precision at the back. They still managed to outscore their opponents 16 to seven in the group stage, but the margins of victory narrowed as the tournament progressed. They only recorded a 2–1 aggregate victory over RB Leipzig in the round of 16, ousted reigning champions Manchester City on penalties after an aggregate score of 4–4 in the quarter-finals, and then defeated Bayern Munich 4–3 in the semi-finals .

Their ability to beat the opposition time and again was down to a wide range of players, including Jude Bellingham. He started his breakout season on a high with four goals in the group stage, but several other teammates stepped up, including Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Joselu, who have each scored five goals in the Champions League this season. The final will also serve as a farewell for Toni Kroos, who will retire after the European Championship as one of the best midfielders of his generation. The 34-year-old’s play hasn’t dropped much despite being in the latter stages of his career. He has averaged a passing accuracy of 95.1% in Europe this season.

Prediction

This final is Real Madrid’s to lose and given that their strengths far outweigh their weaknesses, it appears they are likely to clinch their record 15th Champions League title on Saturday. However, don’t expect Dortmund to simply turn around, especially against a Madrid backline that has a tendency to concede. Choose: Borussia Dortmund 1, Real Madrid 3