Firstpost
  • Home
  • Video Shows
    Vantage Firstpost America Firstpost Africa First Sports
  • World
    US News
  • Explainers
  • News
    India Opinion Cricket Tech Entertainment Sports Health Photostories
  • Asia Cup 2025
Apple Incorporated Modi ji Justin Trudeau Trending

Sections

  • Home
  • Live TV
  • Videos
  • Shows
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Health
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • Web Stories
  • Business
  • Impact Shorts

Shows

  • Vantage
  • Firstpost America
  • Firstpost Africa
  • First Sports
  • Fast and Factual
  • Between The Lines
  • Flashback
  • Live TV

Events

  • Raisina Dialogue
  • Independence Day
  • Champions Trophy
  • Delhi Elections 2025
  • Budget 2025
  • US Elections 2024
  • Firstpost Defence Summit
Trending:
  • PM Modi in Manipur
  • Charlie Kirk killer
  • Sushila Karki
  • IND vs PAK
  • India-US ties
  • New human organ
  • Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale Movie Review
fp-logo
Marco Reus, Mats Hummels 'close the circle' with Champions League return to Wembley
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter
Apple Incorporated Modi ji Justin Trudeau Trending

Sections

  • Home
  • Live TV
  • Videos
  • Shows
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Health
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • Web Stories
  • Business
  • Impact Shorts

Shows

  • Vantage
  • Firstpost America
  • Firstpost Africa
  • First Sports
  • Fast and Factual
  • Between The Lines
  • Flashback
  • Live TV

Events

  • Raisina Dialogue
  • Independence Day
  • Champions Trophy
  • Delhi Elections 2025
  • Budget 2025
  • US Elections 2024
  • Firstpost Defence Summit
  • Home
  • Sports
  • Football
  • Marco Reus, Mats Hummels 'close the circle' with Champions League return to Wembley

Marco Reus, Mats Hummels 'close the circle' with Champions League return to Wembley

agence france-presse • May 8, 2024, 10:58:40 IST
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter

Marco Reus and Mats Hummels are the only two remaining members of the 2013 Dortmund team that had reached the Champions League final

Advertisement
Subscribe Join Us
Add as a preferred source on Google
Prefer
Firstpost
On
Google
Marco Reus, Mats Hummels 'close the circle' with Champions League return to Wembley
Marco Reus (L) and Mats Hummels (R) are in the UEFA Champions League final. Reuters file photo

Eleven years after losing 2-1 to German rivals Bayern Munich in the 2013 Champions League final, Mats Hummels, Marco Reus and Borussia Dortmund have overcome the odds and are heading back to Wembley.

Dortmund's 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the French capital on Tuesday saw the Germans complete a 2-0 aggregate win, becoming the most unlikely Champions League finalists since Tottenham in 2019.

In the 1 June final in London, they will face either Bayern again or 14-time champions Real Madrid. That tie stands 2-2 after the first leg in Germany and reaches its conclusion in Madrid on Wednesday.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD

Drawn in a group with PSG, 2023 semi-finalists AC Milan and surprise English side Newcastle, Dortmund were tipped by most not to make it out of the group.

More from Football
Man United manager Ruben Amorim reveals chat with Kobbie Mainoo after blocking loan move Man United manager Ruben Amorim reveals chat with Kobbie Mainoo after blocking loan move Bengaluru FC players paid, Odisha FC sit out of Super Cup 2025 amid Indian football crisis Bengaluru FC players paid, Odisha FC sit out of Super Cup 2025 amid Indian football crisis

Menés par leur capo Marco Reus, les joueurs de Dortmund sont longuement restés célébrer avec leurs supporters 📢🟡⚫️#PSGBVB pic.twitter.com/tREzxxAswb

— CANAL+ Foot (@CanalplusFoot) May 7, 2024

Despite being dominated in a 2-0 loss at the Parc des Princes by PSG in their first group stage match in September, Dortmund recovered to top the group.

Wins over PSV Eindhoven and Atletico Madrid set up a rematch with PSG in the semi-finals, where Dortmund — who are set to finish fifth in the Bundesliga after a disappointing domestic campaign — were again considered heavy underdogs.

Alongside centre-back partner Nico Schlotterbeck, the 34-year-old Hummels stood tall, helping Dortmund keep PSG’s array of attacking talent including their standout forward Kylian Mbappe at bay across both ties.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD

He added a goal of his own in the second leg and was named man of the match by UEFA in both games.

The 2014 World Cup winner, who left Dortmund for Bayern in 2016 wanting to win the Champions League before returning in 2019, is now 90 minutes from winning one of the few trophies he is yet to claim across a glittering career.

‘The beauty of football’

Dortmund were dogged in victory but also rode their luck, with PSG hitting the woodwork six times across the two ties.

Fortune also shone on Hummels himself, with the defender’s second-half foul on Ousumane Dembele taking place just millimetres from the penalty box.

Reus getting in on the action 🎙️
Sancho bouncing 🙌
The noise of the fans 🔊

Borussia Dortmund are celebrating their victory the right way! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/HiWKAVEVth

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 7, 2024
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD

Speaking after the match, Dortmund coach Edin Terzic said the return of Hummels and Reus to Wembley was “the beautiful side of football”.

“They’ve both been very influential in the success we’ve had over the past few years.

“Mats started all of our games in the Champions League and that just shows how important he is to us. He played a great game today.”

A Dortmund junior product who broke through at Borussia Moenchengladbach before returning in 2012, Reus made it to the Champions League final in his first season at the club.

He announced on Friday he would leave Dortmund at the end of the season, prompting Terzic to suggest on Tuesday that Reus’s return to Wembley 11 years after the Bayern defeat was “the closing of a circle”.

“Everyone invested everything that the two could have the opportunity to make amends in the Champions League final and we’re incredible happy for both of them,” said Terzic.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD

- ‘We’re all believing’ -

Marco Reus and Mats Hummels are the only two players remaining from Borussia Dortmund's 2013 side that reached the Champions League final.

Over ten years later, they're set to feature in another Champions League final for Dortmund 🖤💛 pic.twitter.com/rWsw5QhAM9

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) May 7, 2024

PSG began the second half well but their flurry was cut short when Hummels headed in from a corner on the 50-minute mark, giving Dortmund a 2-0 lead in the tie.

Hummels’ headers have a history of breaking French hearts.

At the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Hummels nodded in the only goal in Germany’s 1-0 quarter-final win over France on their way to a fourth crown.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD

Talking to Amazon Prime, Hummels said “you noticed how quiet things got in the stadium here” as it dawned on PSG fans that their wait for the trophy they covet most would continue at least another year.

Hummels said his side was not content simply with another appearance in the final.

“We’ll face a tough opponent but we all believe,” he said.

“We have believed since the second game of the group phase that we can do it in the Champions League.

“We’ve shown so often that we can. And there’s no reason to believe that we can’t do it.”

Hummels’ contract expires at the end of the season and he has said he will not decide until the summer where he plays next season – or whether he plays on at all.

But while the veteran may join Reus in walking off into the Westfalenstadion sunset, his whereabouts on the first Saturday in June remains clear.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Tags
Borussia Dortmund UEFA Champions League
End of Article
Latest News
Find us on YouTube
Subscribe
End of Article

Top Stories

Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?

Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?

As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland

As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland

Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar

Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar

Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe

Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe

Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?

Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?

As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland

As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland

Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar

Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar

Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe

Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe

Top Shows

Vantage Firstpost America Firstpost Africa First Sports
Latest News About Firstpost
Most Searched Categories
  • Web Stories
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • IPL 2025
NETWORK18 SITES
  • News18
  • Money Control
  • CNBC TV18
  • Forbes India
  • Advertise with us
  • Sitemap
Firstpost Logo

is on YouTube

Subscribe Now

Copyright @ 2024. Firstpost - All Rights Reserved

About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Terms Of Use
Home Video Shorts Live TV