Bellingham v Sancho and German pair bow out – Champions League talking points

England star Jude Bellingham will face compatriot Jadon Sancho when Real Madrid take on Borussia Dortmund in Saturday’s Champions League final at Wembley.

Real are seeking to become European champions for an unprecedented 15th time, while Dortmund’s sole triumph in the tournament came in 1997.

Here, we pick out some of the major talking points.

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Real midfielder Bellingham is poised for arguably the biggest occasion of his club career – against his former side and at the home of English football.

The 20-year-old has shone in Spain this term following an £88.5million transfer from Dortmund last summer.

LaLiga’s player of the season contributed 19 goals and six assists to help Real win the title by 10 points.

He has also registered four Champions League goals and will be expected to deliver once again as he bids to sign off a stellar season in style ahead of representing his country at Euro 2024.

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While Bellingham is on the rise, Sancho’s career has stalled since he swapped Dortmund for Manchester United in 2021.

Sancho returns to Wembley, where he missed one of England’s penalties in their Euro 2020 final shoot-out defeat to Italy, with plenty to prove.

The 24-year-old forward has been capped just once by Gareth Southgate since but is back playing regularly following his January loan switch from Old Trafford.

Sancho will be eager to steal Bellingham’s limelight and could celebrate success alongside another Englishman as 19-year-old former Reading and Manchester City academy player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens is also among Dortmund’s ranks.

Real manager Carlo Ancelotti and many of his players are in familiar territory.

The formidable Spanish giants