Real Madrid Win 15th Champions League as Dortmund Rue Missed Chances
Real Madrid secured a 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund to win the UEFA Champions League final at Wembley on Saturday. The Bundesliga outfit were the better side for the majority of the game but Dani Carvajal put Madrid ahead after 74 minutes.
Vinicius Junior then doubled their lead nine minutes later following a poor mistake from Ian Maatsen. The Liga giants have won the European Cup for the 15th time.
Real Madrid claimed a record-extending 15th UEFA Champions League title after battling past Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at Wembley. Carlo Ancelotti’s side had to withstand strong spells of pressure from their opponents, but second-half goals from Dani Carvajal and Vinicius Junior delivered Los Blancos’ sixth European crown in 11 years.
Dortmund carried the greater threat during the opening period of their first Champions League final appearance since losing to compatriots Bayern Munich here in 2013.
Karim Adeyemi was unable to capitalise in the 21st minute after going through one-on-one with Thibaut Courtois, while Niklas Fullkrug struck the post soon after.
The Bundesliga side were made to rue those missed opportunities as Madrid broke through with 16 minutes remaining, with Carvajal brilliantly guiding Toni Kroos’ corner beyond the helpless Gregor Kobel.
Nico Schlotterbeck’s superb last-ditch intervention denied Jude Bellingham three minutes later, but Los Blancos sealed victory seven minutes from time.
Ian Maatsen’s loose square pass was intercepted by Bellingham, who immediately presented Vinicius with the opportunity to secure the trophy, which he did not pass up.
It was European Cup No. 15 for Madrid, La Decimoquinta, and their ninth from nine finals since the Champions League rebrand in 1992. Milan are next on the list with seven. Madrid have won six in the last 11 seasons alone. For Carlo
Ancelotti, it was his fifth as a manager – a record; he has two more from his playing days – while it was number six as players for Carvajal, Nacho, Kroos and the substitute Luka Modric, equalling Paco Gento’s all-time mark.
When Kroos was withdrawn for Modric in the 85th minute, he saluted the Madrid fans. He knew, not that there was any doubt by then. He had started the party and now retires from club football at the very pinnacle. Could there be a final act for him at Euro 2024 with Germany?
It was a typically star-studded occasion, with Sir Alex Ferguson, Zinedine Zidane and Figo among those present; Jürgen Klopp, too. The former Dortmund manager was given a tremendous ovation by the club’s supporters when he was pictured on the big screen.
Dortmund dominated the first half, bringing the aggression in the duels, their No 8s, Marcel Sabitzer and Julian Brandt, stepping high. It was remarkable to see how they got runners in behind the Madrid defence. They enjoyed a concerted patch of pressure around the midway point when they created their openings and there were two huge ones.
The first was for Adeyemi, the winger sent through for a one-on-one with Thibaut Courtois, Madrid’s recently returned goalkeeper. In his four games in May – his only four of a season undermined by serious knee ligament problems.
Courtois did not concede. Madrid needed him here. Spooked by Courtois, Adeyemi took a heavy touch, going too far wide. His shot was blocked by the covering Carvajal.
Brandt had enjoyed the first opening only to be crowded out and after Adeyemi had almost got on to a low cut-back, Dortmund had their second big moment. It was Maatsen who robbed Camavinga and, having raced back towards the Madrid goal, he released Füllkrug who guided first-time on the stretch for the far corner. The ball came back off the inside of the post. It was agonising.
It had certainly been a strange start to the showpiece, a worrying one, too, from a security point of view. Three men ran onto the pitch in the opening few minutes, the first stopping to take a selfie with Vinícius. Where were the stewards? Nowhere. The first two invaders left of their own accord; the third ran back on before a few luminous bibs finally showed up.
Madrid stirred after the second-half restart. Ancelotti wanted Kroos to drop deep to make the play, which he did, and Camavinga to push up in central midfield. The connections which were not there before the interval started to fire.
Kroos forced Kobel to tip a curling free-kick behind; from the corner, Carvajal headed off target. Carvajal also had a side-on volley blocked by Maatsen. Füllkrug planted a header straight at Courtois but the tide had turned, Madrid on the front foot. When Vinícius shaped a cross towards the far post, Bellingham was inches from making the decisive contact but the goal was coming. As it always does for Madrid.
Real Madrid have won the European Cup/UEFA Champions League for the 15th time in their history, which is now more than twice as many times as any other club (Milan with the next-most on 7).
