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Carlo Ancelotti set to make shock decision for Champions League final that could massively backfire

A big decision faces the Real Madrid boss with his team selection against Borussia Dortmund

Carlo Ancelotti set to make shock decision for Champions League final that could massively backfire

Published 17:43 10 May 2024 GMT+1

Real Madrid have reached a record 18th European Cup final and will be seeking to win the title for a 15th time when they take on Borussia Dortmund.

The Spanish side will take on the Bundesliga outfit at Wembley on June 1 after beating Bayern Munich over two legs in the semi-final.

Real secured a 4-3 victory on aggregate following a comeback 2-1 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu in midweek.

Alphonso Davies had put Bayern ahead and the German outfit had looked to be on course to book their place in the final.

But Joselu scored a late double to ensure it is Real who will be at Wembley next month with two dramatic goals.

Dortmund meanwhile booked their place after a 2-0 win on aggregate over Paris Saint-Germain, following a 1-0 victory on the night at the Parc des Princes achieved courtesy Mats Hummels' header.

The German side will be seeking to claim their second Champions League crown, while Real are aiming to win it for the 15th time and extend their record tally by another title - they currently have double the number of European Cup titles AC Milan, the team to have won it the second most.

For the Wembley final, both sides will have some key selection decisions to make which could be the difference between victory and defeat.

For Real, there is one key area of the pitch boss Carlo Ancelotti must make a call on - and it appears a big decision is set to be made.

According to Relevo, Ancelotti is poised to put his faith in the recently returned Thibaut Courtois as goalkeeper, ahead of Andriy Lunin, who has featured for much of the season.

Courtois has been out for much of the season after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee in early August, and the former Chelsea stopper made his first appearance this season in the 3-0 La Liga victory against Cadiz last weekend.

Ancelotti has made it clear that Courtois will feature in the remaining La Liga games this season, saying: "Both he and (Eder) Militao (who also suffered an ACL injury this season) are back, and they need minutes.

"I will play them in these league games."

It seems that the legendary Italian manager intends to give Courtois game time to get him up to speed ahead of the final next month.

Though it might seem harsh on Lunin given his contribution this season, few would argue against a manager of Ancelotti's abilities and Courtois' number one status at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Featured Image Credit: Getty

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