Real Madrid vs Dortmund Prediction: 22/10/2024

Real Madrid recently suffered a surprising 1-0 defeat against LOSC Lille, marking their first loss of the season across all competitions and only their third in over a year. In this match, the Merengue, donning their iconic white kit, failed to find their rhythm, reinforcing concerns about their shaky start to the season.

Despite having a star-studded squad, including Kylian Mbappé and potential Ballon d’Or winner Vinicius Jr., the team continues to struggle with balance in the midfield. Manager Carlo Ancelotti has experimented with different formations, such as the 4-4-2 diamond, 4-3-3, and 4-2-3-1, but none seem to fully address the issues.

In La Liga, Real Madrid has been closely trailing FC Barcelona’s intense pace. The matches against Villarreal and Celta Vigo will be critical in determining Madrid’s response to their defeat against Lille.

Borussia Dortmund, who were defeated by Real Madrid in last season’s Champions League final, will return to the Bernabéu with revenge on their minds. Dortmund arrives as leaders of their Champions League group, boasting two convincing wins against Club Brugge (0-3) and Celtic (7-1). With 10 goals scored and only 1 conceded, Dortmund is tied on points with teams like Brest, Benfica, and Liverpool but leads on goal difference.

In the Bundesliga, Dortmund has suffered just one loss, a heavy 5-1 defeat against Stuttgart, but quickly rebounded with a 4-2 victory over Bochum. Following the international break, Dortmund will be aiming for a winning streak, with upcoming matches against Union Berlin and newly promoted St. Pauli.

Kylian Mbappé, who was sidelined for three weeks due to an injury, made a substitute appearance in the loss against Lille but was unable to influence the outcome. David Alaba remains in recovery, while Ceballos, Brahim Diaz, Joan Martinez, and Thibaut Courtois are all unavailable for the Champions League clash.

Ancelotti is still fine-tuning his lineup, but it is expected that Mbappé, Vinicius, Rodrygo, and Bellingham will start as Real Madrid needs a win to keep their European hopes alive.

For Dortmund, Donyell Malen, who missed the match against Celtic due to illness, is expected to return, though young prospect Filippo Mane is out with an injury, along with Gio Reyna. Karim Adeyemi, who scored a hat-trick against Celtic, has been in great form this season, with 2 goals and 3 assists in the Bundesliga. New signing Serhou Guirassy, who scored a double against Celtic, now has 3 goals in 3 appearances. Guirassy, who netted 28 goals for Stuttgart last season, is expected to play a key role in Dortmund’s attack.

 

Prediction

Both Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund are among the top teams this season, combining for an impressive 64 goals in just 19 matches. Over 2.5 goals have been scored in Real Madrid’s last 14 matches and Dortmund’s last seven, making this a high-scoring contest likely.

Prediction: Real Madrid 2-2 Borussia Dortmund