Champions League Final 2024: Owen Hargreaves, Steve McManaman on ‘dangerous underdogs’ Dortmund and obsessed Real Madrid

Owen Hargreaves believes that “dangerous underdogs” Borussia Dortmund stand in the way of Real Madrid, who Steve McManaman believes are “in love” with the UEFA Champions League.

The former Manchester United and Bayern Munich midfielder discussed the Bundesliga outfit, who negotiated a tough Champions League group with Paris Saint-Germain, Newcastle and AC Milan.

Dortmund’s league form has been far from spectacular, although their fifth-place finish at the end of the season is already enough to earn them a spot in the competition for next season regardless of the result at Wembley.

Speaking to TNT Sports, Hargreaves believes Dortmund’s team are more than the sum of their parts, which gives them an advantage over some teams that rely on big names.

He said: “They’ve been underdogs the whole tournament, I don’t think anyone thought they’d get out of their group.

“They had the group of death. Won in Newcastle, won in Milan, and they’ve saved the best for the Champions League.

“They’re a complete team, they’ve worked incredibly hard. There’s not really any superstars but there are some super-talented players. But actually, these guys worked really hard.

“It shows you sometimes it’s not about superstars, you need to complement each other. They’re underdogs, but I think they’re dangerous underdogs.”

McManaman, who played for Manchester City and Liverpool in the Premier League but who also had a successful spell with Real, described how the Spanish side put the Champions League on a pedestal, with their domestic success almost assured in La Liga.

He asked: “How many leagues have they won? Not many really know, but you certainly know they’ve won 14 Champions League and 15 if they get it done tomorrow.

“It’s an obsession, the Liga’s not a problem. They expect to win the league and if they don’t they will finish second. It’s this trophy that they’re in love with and their fans are.

“Their history dictates that they take this really well, and for [Jude Bellingham] he’ll want to win his first.”

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