Real Madrid defeat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 to lift record-extending 15th Champions League
Real Madrid won their 15th European Cup on Saturday at a raucous Wembley Stadium, defeating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 despite being dominated the first hour.
Dortmund had missed several good chances, but Real took control when Dani Carvajal headed in from a corner after 74 minutes, and Vinicius Jr. scored the second to break German hearts.
Victory secured the trophy for the sixth time in 11 seasons, and it marked Real Madrid's 11th consecutive victory in a European final, with their last defeat coming against Aberdeen in the Cup Winners' Cup 41 years ago. They have won the continent's most prestigious club competition more than twice as frequently as the next best team.
Carlo Ancelotti achieved a record-extending fifth success as a coach, having previously won the trophy twice as a player with AC Milan.
"I never get used to it, because it was difficult, very difficult, more than expected," the Italian said. "In the second half we were better - this is a dream that continues."
Dortmund defender Mats Hummels stated that Madrid have been doing so for 100 years, and he was not far off given that they were 2-0 down in the first European Cup final in 1956 before rallying to defeat Stade de Reims 4-3, the first of five consecutive victories that began their love affair with the competition.
Words thrown around in post-match interviews on Saturday included "clinical," "ice-cold," and "belief," while Carvajal summed up the game perfectly following the latest turnaround as his team completed a LaLiga-Champions League double.
"After the first half we didn't even deserve to go to the changing rooms level," he said. "But we came out of the first half alive, knowing that we would have our moment... and here it is".
Dortmund, who stunned Paris St Germain in the semi-finals, had a perfect first half aside from scoring.
Their first good chance came after 21 minutes, when Karim Adeyemi went too wide rounding goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Then came a flurry of opportunities, with Niclas Fuellkrug hitting the post and Courtois saving low shots from Julian Brandt and Marcel Sabitzer.
Dortmund had been attacking their own fans, who were celebrating their team's first Champions League final since 2013 and only their third overall, by attempting to recreate the yellow wall atmosphere of their Westfalenstadion with noise and unified bouncing that shook the stadium to its foundations.
Madrid, on the other hand, appeared unconcerned by what was going on and looked more lively from the start of the second half, albeit without posing a threat.
Courtois saved a diving header from Fuellkrug, and Dortmund soon regretted their missed opportunities when 5ft 8 ins (172cm) full back Carvajal rose to meet a Kroos corner and steer in a glancing header.
The assist was a fitting way for Germany midfielder Kroos to cap off his final game for the club, while Carvajal, Nacho, and Luka Modric all tied Francisco Gento's record of six titles from Real's first era of dominance.
Madrid scored their second goal after Dortmund's Ian Maatsen gave the ball away on the edge of his box. LaLiga player of the year and former Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham found Vinicius Jr in space, and the Brazilian fired home perfectly.
Dortmund fans continued to sing in defeat, but they and their players will know it was a missed opportunity that will sting for a long time.
"Today we saw a Dortmund team that we want to see," said coach Edin Terzic, whose side finished fifth in the Bundesliga.
"We played a fantastic game and maybe deserved a bit more than to lose 2-0."
"We did a lot of things right but they had this killer instinct. They were ice cold and they are deserved champions."
SportsLigue