Real Madrid win Champions League final as Dortmund rue missed chances

[ornotna]

It is the competition that Real Madrid like to think they own and the reasons why were mapped out in graphic detail at Wembley. Yet again. Borussia Dortmund brought the punch of the underdog and they played with a marvellous liberation in the first half, creating chances. And, well, missing them. It was impossible not to think they would live to regret it.

As the second half rolled along, Madrid stabilising and then really starting to play, everybody inside the stadium knew they had seen this movie before, especially the ending. Vinícius Júnior had endured a difficult first 45 minutes. Now he flipped the switch. So did everybody in the white shirts.

It was Dani Carvajal who scored the crucial first goal, flicking home from a Toni Kroos corner, and it felt as though something broke in Dortmund at that point. Madrid flooded forward, going close on a number of occasions before Jude Bellingham intercepted a terrible pass by Ian Maatsen to release Vinícius. He was never going to miss and so Madrid strutted towards a 15th European Cup, La Decimoquinta, Dortmund’s wounds salted when Niclas Füllkrug saw a late header pulled back for offside.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/jun/01/real-madrid-dortmund-champions-league-final-match-report

[TexasDem69]

1. That was a very Madrid-like performance

Get outplayed for much of the match but don’t concede a goal because you have perhaps the best goalkeeper in the world, and then score with one of your few opportunities. The outcome was completely predictable in that sense.

[Enoki33]

2. Madrid in the first half frankly

had me worried about how porous their back line seemed. I too wondered why they always seemed to adopt that familiar pattern, particularly when the opposing team has not yet scored.