Borussia Dortmund vs Real Madrid: Jude Bellingham ready for the next step on the path to greatness

At just 20 years old, Jude Bellingham gives the impression of a generational sportsman whose career has been traced since childhood.

He has already progressed seamlessly from his hometown club Birmingham to Borussia Dortmund, among Europe’s best developers of young talent, and now onto the biggest stage at Real Madrid.

His rise has at times appeared scripted, which has rarely seemed more real than during Saturday’s Wembley showpiece.

Coming off a remarkable debut season at Madrid, in which he inspired the Spanish title and was named La Liga Player of the Year, Bellingham has the chance not only to win club football’s biggest prize , but also to do it against his former club and in his national stadium.

Winning the Champions League so soon after joining Los Blancos and in such dreamlike circumstances would seem to be another step in this latest Galactico’s inevitable journey to becoming one of the game’s modern greats.

And, as if that possibility wasn’t enough, barring any incident, Bellingham will play for England at this summer’s European Championship, where he will have the opportunity to immortalize his name by winning the tournament with the very popular with Gareth Southgate.

Lifting either or both trophies would make him the favorite for the 2024 Ballon d’Or. Again, being named the best player in the world has long seemed to be part of Bellingham’s destiny, such is his quality, mentality and maturity , although even its most committed supporters would agree that it is ahead of schedule.

Bellingham joined Madrid last summer with chances like Saturday’s in mind and, although he will be venturing onto new grounds, the Spanish side are aiming to extend their dominance in the European Cup by winning the competition for the 15th time, with boss Carlo Ancelotti aiming for a seventh title as player and manager.

Overshadowing Gareth Bale’s five European Cups and huge final impact would be difficult, but the Welshman has never been the main man at the Bernabeu.

While Bale has always been in Cristiano Ronaldo’s shadow, Bellingham is already a superstar at Madrid, unlike Bale, Steve McManaman and even David Beckham, who never won the Champions League with the club. He is the heart of Ancelotti’s team and his teammates regard him with a kind of deference that belies his age.

Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga and Toni Kroos, who will play his final club game on Saturday, are expected to provide ballast for Bellingham as usual, with the England star set to play as a No.10 in support of strikers Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo . .

Edin Terzic’s Dortmund are underdogs, but they kept out Kylian Mbappe in both legs of their semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain and believe they can shut out Bellingham and Co as a result.

Madrid, however, have a power in this competition that so often seems inevitable, highlighted by their late semi-final victory over Bayern Munich.

Dortmund have their own weapons, notably in Jadon Sancho, who is eyeing redemption – not least because he returns to Wembley for the first time since missing a penalty in England’s penalty shootout defeat. play-off in the Euro 2020 final.

Sancho was forced to train and eat alone at Manchester United as recently as January but has been rejuvenated since returning on loan to Dortmund. Whatever happens on Saturday, Sancho has already rebuilt his reputation and career, his performance in the first leg of their semi-final serving as a reminder that he is a game-changer at the highest level.

As Madrid bid farewell to Kroos after 10 years at the club, the occasion will also mark the final match of Dortmund’s legendary German midfielder Marco Reus.

The impending retirements of both men are among several major individual storylines that could shape tomorrow’s contest, but none more compelling than Bellingham’s continued rise.