Real Madrid Earns 15th Champions League Title With 2-0 Win Over Borussia Dortmund
Real Madrid continued to seal its name in history after defeating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the Champions League Final at Wembley Stadium. It was Madrid’s 15th Champions League title and head coach Carlo Ancelotti’s fifth, putting him ahead of the highly successful Pep Guardiola. Madrid did not play its best in the game. However, they got over the line with goals from Dani Carvajal and Vinicius Junior late in the second half.
Dortmund largely dominated the first half, with chances from Karim Adeyemi and Niclas Fullkrug. Fullkrug hit the post, and Adeyemi found himself behind but could not get a shot. In the first half, Dortmund was able to hold Madrid back and limit them to two shots. Dortmund only had 36 percent of the ball but was able to dominate the midfield and effectively find their attackers in space.
The second half saw Madrid start to settle into the game more. Toni Kroos and Carvajal had chances that scared Dortmund, but the game remained scoreless. That was until Carvajal scored his second-ever goal in a European Final. The shortest Madrid player on the pitch, Carvajal rose high for the header and buried it into the back of the net. Dortmund made attacking substitutions to get back into the game, but a misplaced pass from Ian Maatsen saw Madrid have a golden opportunity. Jude Bellingham passed the ball to Junior, who easily placed his effort past Gregor Kobel.
Marco Reus made his final appearance for Dortmund, but the German could not make a difference in the game. Dortmund almost made the final seven minutes interesting, with Fullkrug finding the back of the net. However, the goal was quickly called offside. Edin Terzic’s side has a lot to be proud of, though, giving Madrid a scare for most of the game.
Madrid will only get stronger next year, with Kylian Mbappe set to join the Spanish giants. Mbappe, a World Cup winner, scored 235 goals for Ligue 1 side PSG but has yet to make a serious run in the Champions League. Dortmund, which finished fifth in the Bundesliga, will be back in the Champions League next season but will have a difficult path to the final once again. Madrid arguably remains the favorite to win the competition next season besides Manchester City.
