Borussia Dortmund Goetze set to miss Champions League final

Borussia Dortmund playmaker Mario Goetze failed to regain full fitness ahead of the Saturday’s Champions League final against Bayern Munich at Wembley.

The 20-yeart-old German international sustained an injury during Champions League semi-final second leg at the hands of Real Madrid.
Borussia boss Jurgen Klopp is likely to replace Goetze by Kevin Grosskreutz, who will be playing on the left wing, while Marco Reus will move into the middle.

Goetze, the product of Borussia Dortmund youth academy, shocked the fans and coaching staff alike when it was announced that he agreed to join bitter rivals Bayern Munich for 37 million euros. The news came before Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich progressed to the final, raising unusual situation when he will be playing against his new club in Champions League final.

Goetze said on Dortmund official web-site: “That final was my goal, I’ve struggled hard to be fit in recent weeks and I am incredibly sorry for not being able to help the team in this important game. I will of course travel to London to support the guys.”

The omission of half-fit Goetze is tipped as a Klopp’s clever tactical plot by pundits, as it allows his players to focus on Goetze-free future.