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It’s the competition Real Madrid like to think they own, and the reasons why were detailed at Wembley. One more time. Borussia Dortmund brought the underdog kick and they played with incredible release in the first half, creating chances. And, well, they miss them. It was impossible not to think they would live to regret it.
As the second half progressed, Madrid settled down and then really started to play, everyone in the stadium knew they had seen this movie before, especially the end. Vinícius Júnior endured a difficult first 45 minutes. Now he pressed the switch. So did everyone with the white shirts.
Dani Carvajal scored the decisive first goal, firing in from a Toni Kroos corner, and at that moment it felt like something had broken in Dortmund. Madrid flooded forward, going close a number of times before Jude Bellingham latched on to a terrific pass from Ian Maatsen to send Vinicius through. He was never going to miss and so Madrid headed for a 15th European Cup, La DecimoquintaDortmund’s wounds were salted when Niklas Fühlkrug saw a late header deflected back for an interception.
It was title No 5 in his competition as manager of Carlo Ancelotti – a record – and No 6 as players for Carvajal, Nacho, Kroos and Luka Modric, who came on as a substitute – equaling Paco Gento’s all-time mark. Superlatives felt eternal.
It was an occasion defined by contrasts. Anything you applied to one club seemed to hold true for the other and extended to the pre-match mood. Dortmund’s end was packed more than an hour before kick-off, hopping with noise and energy, goosebumps rising when the club’s former manager, Jurgen Klopp, was pictured on the big screen; he enjoyed the praise. Madridistas were in no hurry. They are obviously more familiar with these things, perhaps more relaxed.
“The history of Real Madrid was born in the 1950s with this competition,” Ancelotti said during the week, winking at how they won the first competition in which you are most focused. “It felt, as he also spoke openly about the nerves, that he wanted to send a message: he wanted his team to take nothing for granted.
Edin Terzic’s 4-3-3 was fixed early on; Julian Brandt is more of a No. 8 on the left side than a No. 10. While Madrid have been inconsistent, Jude Bellingham has not been the only rover. He defended on the left of four midfielders. Rodrigo played with a lot of license. Federico Valverde moved inside from the right; Dani Carvajal tried to go around the outside.
Dortmund dominated the first half. Cheered on by their fans, Terzic’s side enjoyed a concerted spell of tension around the halfway mark when they had a clutch of chances to open the scoring. There were two big ones in particular that really need to be taken.
The first was for Karim Adeyemi, the jet-heeled winger, sent on to play one-on-one with Thibaut Courtois, Madrid’s recently returned goalkeeper. In his four games in May – his only four of the season, hampered by serious knee ligament problems – Courtois kept a clean sheet. Madrid needed him here. Spooked by Courtois, Adeyemi hit hard, sending him too wide. His shot would be blocked by the covering Carvajal.
Dortmund brought the aggression into the duels; witness Julian Ryerson, for example, getting up close and physical against Vinicius Junior. They pressed hard on the front foot, their midfield rose high and it was remarkable to see them put runners in behind Madrid’s defense in the first 45 minutes, how they threatened from cut-backs.
Brand enjoyed the first opening only to be pushed out and after Adeyemi almost got to a low cross, Dortmund had their second huge moment. It was Jan Maatsen who robbed Eduardo Camavinga and, after racing back towards the Madrid goal, released Fülkrug with a lovely slip. Füllkrug was first time into the far corner and was cleared just inside the post.
Madrid offered next to nothing in terms of attacking power in the first 45 minutes, Vinicius epitomizing their frustration when he came in late on goalkeeper Gregor Kobel to earn himself a yellow card. Dortmund had other flurries, Adeyemi widening Courtois from a tight angle; Marcel Sabitzer does the same from further afield.
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It was certainly a strange start to the exhibition, worrying also from a security point of view. Three men ran onto the field in the first few minutes, the first stopping to take a selfie with Vinicius. Where were the stewards? Nowhere. The first two invaders left of their own accord; the third was returning before several glowing bibs appeared.
Dortmund knew they had to continue in the same vein in the second half, but it was unthinkable that Madrid would remain so toothless. Ancelotti wanted Toni Kroos to drop deep to make the play and Camavinga to rise in the center of midfield. Terzic was never going to deviate too far from his plan. The construction was impressively strong.
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Madrid duly stirred. Kroos forced Kobel to deflect a curling free-kick behind; from a corner, Carvajal heads in. Carvajal would also see a side volley blocked by Maatsen.
Fühlkrug headed straight at Courtois from Adeyemi’s cross, but the tide turned. Madrid were in the lead, although they kept making mistakes. Vinícius turned up the heat by making several moves on Ryerson, including an outrageous nutmeg stop and go. When Vinicius curled a cross towards the far post, Bellingham was inches away from a decisive touch. The feeling was strong. Madrid was about to score.
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