Dortmund did most of the running, but two goals in the second half helped Madrid win their 15th European championship.
Important times
21′: Adeyemi is denied by Carvajal Block
23′: Füllkrug strikes Dortmund’s post
28′: Adeyemi is foiled by Courtois
49′: Kobel advice Wide free kick by Kroos
63′: The courtois retreats. 74′: Carvajal heads in Kroos corner; 77′: Schlotterbeck deflects Bellingham shot wide. Füllkrug header
81′: Kobel blocks a header from Nacho; 83′: Vinícius Júnior scores Madrid’s second goal.
Brief description of the match: Dortmund was forced to pay by Real Madrid.
Real Madrid’s Dani Carvajal leads the team ahead.
Real Madrid’s Dani Carvajal leads the team ahead.
Before the match, Edin Terzić had given his Dortmund players a rallying call, saying, “If we are brave then we’re going to have a chance.” In the first half, BVB showed more than just bravery; they faced the 14-time champions with fearlessness and produced numerous opportunities that should have led to a lead at the half.
Los Blancos were only as successful as their early sighters from Federico Valverde and the generally well-marched Vinícius Júnior, while Dortmund showed significantly more cutting edge until the very end.
A key component of their danger was Karim Adeyemi.
After evading Thibaut Courtois and testing the Madrid number one with a pinpoint through pass from Julian Brandt, the winger was only stopped by a last-ditch tackle from Dani Carvajal. Niclas Füllkrug was just not able to tip the rebound back towards goal.
In the interim, Füllkrug had pressed Ian Maatsen’s ball against the post, and Courtois was again called upon to send Marcel Sabitzer’s sweeping effort wide as the half came to a close.
A grim-faced At halftime, Carlo Ancelotti came out of the dressing room still having talks with Toni Kroos and Jude Bellingham, the frequently overworked player. The German midfielder, who was playing his final match for the team, assumed more responsibility and forced Gregor Kobel to save his first save with a whipped free-kick.
Dortmund stayed composed, determined, and upbeat. Even if the battle was back on track, BVB was still creating the more attractive opportunities, with Courtois stepping up to deny a blistering header from Füllkrug shortly after the hour.
Is there a chance Madrid can change the tide? They always seem to figure something out, and this would be no exception. The source may have come as a surprise, but Carvajal stood up to lead Kroos’s corner, driven to create history by participating in a record-tying sixth winning squad in the championship game.
The dread that Ancelotti had forewarned his players about prior to the grand finale had now vanished. Bellingham and Nacho almost missed tying the score with a second before Vinícius Júnior finished, taking Bellingham’s pass and stroking his finish over Kobel to give Madrid their 15th European title.
Head coach Edin Terzić of Dortmund said to ZDF at the end of the game: “We played a fantastic game and I think we deserved more than to lose 2-0. We made it clear to everyone from away that our goal wasn’t only to compete in the final, but to win it. We performed a lot of things well today, but we lacked the ability to act decisively when necessary.
