Mats Hummels and Marco Reus are heading back to Wembley this weekend — more than a decade after their designs on winning the Champions League were crushed by Bayern Munich in devastating fashion.
This time it is the turn of 14-time winners Real Madrid – who saw off Bayern with a typical injury-time goal last month.
Hummels, 35, and Reus — who will turn 34 eight days after this season’s final in Istanbul — are likely to play their last appearance for Dortmund in the Champions League.
Reus has already declared Saturday’s game will be his final match for Dortmund.
His deal is running out this summer, and he added: “I’m excited to see what Saturday’s match triggers in me — then I’ll make a decision some time in June.
A Champions League title, a first in each case for this pair of modern Dortmund greats would be the perfect send-off.
Dortmund, coach at the time by Jurgen Klopp, in 2012-13 but two straight titles with a league and cup double triumph only to face Madrid.
But now have a pathway to Wembley with such an exciting, youthful team seemingly on course for more success.
Hummels, a new-age centre back combining attacking instincts with astute positional awareness, was an ever-present fixture in the German heart of defence.
A Dortmund youth product, Reus made his breakthrough at the club in 2012-13 following a spell with Borussia Moenchengladbach and was poised to step up as Germany’s next superstar forward after winning German Footballer of the Year honours.
Instead, the loss to Bayern was just a chapter in what we should have characterized as only being the beginning of the end for Dortmund.
Klopp left the club in 2015 and five months later moved to Liverpool where he has reached three Champions League finals – winning one whilst losing two (both against Real Madrid).
Hummels rejoined Bayern – where he rose as a youth player with their system, for Champions League title.
However, the defender’s pursuit was in vain.
Three years later, and with doubts about his age creeping in as well as a nagging injury concern coming into full view, Hummels was back at Dortmund — the very next season Bayern went on to win their first Champions League.
That return BVB five years later, and Hummels is enjoying an Indian summer of a career, deserved Man-of-the-Match displays in Semi-Final 1 v Paris Saint-Germain……and S/F 2 keeping wonderkid Kylian Mbappe at bay with decent back-up.
‘Perfect way to complete the circle’
After missing out on selection in Germany’s Euro 2024 squad, Hummels said he was “disappointed,” yet had a chance to cleanse himself of it at London.
”Game ends with a downgrade to grade B: HummelsThe Dortmund centre-back, however was in reflective mood after the final whistle.“If I can hold this trophy then for sure it will be like an A (in terms of his career), otherwise… put that away,” said disappointed defender.
Reus — who missed his chance at World Cup glory alongside Hummels in 2014 through injury — has remained with Dortmund since the final of that year, despite interest from within Germany and abroad as Bayern Munich lifted nine out of ten subsequent Bundesliga crowns.
The closest Reus has come to winning the league title was in — but Bayern Munich won it that season, too (credits: Getty Images)
That followed an even closer call last season, when a final day 2-2 draw with Mainz handed Bayern the shield again but victory on Saturday would eradicate all lingering disappointment.
In addition to Hummels and Reus, captain Emre Can was on the losing side when Klopp’s Liverpool lost 3-1 to Real in the final of 2018, while Niklas Suele played for Bayern as they beat PSG in last year’s championship match.
Can, who had spoken to Klopp during the week and been told: ‘You can put it right on Saturday,’ said.
“Mesut Ozil, he texted me after the (semi-final) in Paris and just said ‘go and win the final’,” Saka told The New York Times.
While he will return for footballing reasons, Dortmund boss Edin Terzic acknowledged Reus’ compelling narrative.
Marco has clearly demonstrated that he is not yet finished, Terzic stated.
“His first & last seasons with Dortmund are close to perfect already, but a final in his farewell season at Wembley would be perfection.
“I need Marco on Saturday. He bring his qualities and we need this quality. Coach [Saragosa] said we needed Marco in there and he had been through the ringer, so to speak; but that was an important step.
“Not just about us but wanting to give Marco (Rose) a nice farewell,” said 22-year-old lightning quick winger Karim Adeyemi, who has been arguably at his most devastating in Europe this season.
’ “And I will do my best to ensure he goes out on the field happy.
