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Come Fan with UsMonday, June 22, 2026

Borussia Dortmund vs. Real Madrid: Sami Khedira injured, Luka Modric to the rescue

It’s been an uneventful start to the game in Dortmund with both teams preferring to probe cautiously rather than going in all guns blazing just yet.

The biggest news is that Sami Khedira has gone off injured with what appeared to be a hamstring injury. Luka Modric is his replacement.

It's a different role than Modric usually plays at Real Madrid, with the Croatian playmaker usually being deployed in the hole as an alternative to Mesut Ozil, but he'll have to perform in central midfield alongside Xabi Alonso here - something he should be more than comfortable at doing from his Tottenham Hotspur days.

Elsewhere, Real Madrid's makeshift defence appears to be holding up just fine, although Dortmund have hardly been turning the screw. The first goal could go either way, but expect this game to explode into life soon. Ronaldo has exploded into the channels threateningly on several occasions, but Real Madrid's passing needs to improve to find him. And thanks to this enforced change, perhaps it will.

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