News Focus
- Real Madrid Castilla and Borussia Dortmund II contest the Premier League International Cup final on Tuesday at Adams Park.
- The German side features a youthful squad with an average age of 18.7 years, while the Spanish team averages 21.
- Real Madrid’s junior side remains undefeated but has played additional minutes in previous rounds against Manchester United and Dinamo Zagreb.
- Álvaro Arbeloa guided the Madrid outfit through the group phase before stepping up to the senior team in January.
- Dortmund defeated Everton and Real Sociedad to reach the decider after winning their group.
Real Madrid Castilla will meet Borussia Dortmund II in the Premier League International Cup final this Tuesday. The match takes place at Adams Park, the home ground of Wycombe Wanderers. This annual tournament for under-21 players organised by the Premier League will crown its ninth champion.
The German visitors topped their group earlier in the competition. They then secured victories over Everton and Real Sociedad during the knock-out phase to book their place in the final. Coach Daniel Ríos leads the side, with Marcel Schmeltzer also part of the backroom staff until the season ends.
Real Madrid’s reserve team has not lost a single match on their route to the final. However, they required extra time to overcome both Manchester United and Dinamo Zagreb in previous rounds. Former Liverpool defender Álvaro Arbeloa managed the team for the four group matches. Julián López de Lerma took charge of the knock-out games after Arbeloa received a promotion to the senior Real Madrid setup in January.
This fixture marks a significant opportunity for Dortmund’s young talents. The squad combines under-19 and under-23 players, with an average age of just 18.7 years. In contrast, the Real Madrid line-up that played the semi-final averaged 21 years. Dortmund will be without Luca Reggiani and Samuele Inácio, as both featured in Friday’s Bundesliga match against Eintracht Frankfurt. However, Almugera Kabar and Filippo Mane, who have both trained with the senior squad, are available for selection in the 18-man travelling party.
The competition has seen mixed fortunes for other German clubs this season. Borussia Mönchengladbach and RB Leipzig both failed to advance past the group stage. Nottingham Forest, who won the trophy last year, also exited early. Bayern Munich remain the only German side to lift this cup, achieving the feat in the 2018/19 campaign. Portuguese giants Porto have won the tournament twice, the only club to do so since its inception.