Conclusion at Wembley Stadium - Championship horror: Dortmund falls short in Champions League finale
The dream of Champions League victory for Borussia Dortmund came crashing down in a disappointing manner. They showed strong performance and had numerous opportunities to score, but ultimately lost to the favorite team and 15-time title holder Real Madrid with a score of 0:2 (0:0) on Saturday night at the Wembley Stadium in London. Over 86,212 spectators were present to witness the game.
Despite put uping a good fight, Dortmund had to endure several setbacks. The decisive goals for Madrid, which had been lacking until then, were scored by Daniel Carvajal in the 74th minute and Vinícius Júnior in the 83rd minute.
Toni Kroos, the German national player for Real Madrid, won the Champions League for the sixth time in his career. This makes him one of the record holders for the most significant European club title. Kroos, who is 34 years old, was substituted out towards the end of the game and was met with loud cheers from the Real fans (86th). In contrast, Marco Reus, who was playing his last game for Borussia Dortmund, did not achieve the much-awaited trophy for the team.
Dortmund started the match impressively. Fans in the stadium performed a captivating choreography to welcome their team. Thousands more watched the first half hour of the game live at home in Dortmund through public viewings. The outsider Borussia Dortmund seemed determined to make something "spectacular" as their coach Edin Terzic had hoped beforehand.
Julian Brandt had an opportunity to score in the penalty area of Real (14th) and Karim Adeyemi, who had not been selected for the national team by Julian Nagelsmann for the upcoming European Championship, could have scored twice in the first half. However, he missed the ball too far from the goal by Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (21st) and was again denied by Courtois when he made a sprint against Carvajal (28th).
The defending champion Real was barely visible in front of the Dortmund penalty area, a common occurrence given the forceful style of play from manager Carlo Ancelotti's team. It seemed like Dortmund was more ambitious than what Real had expected. However, Kroos, who rarely makes mistakes, missed a pass that led to a chance for Dortmund through Marcel Sabitzer, which Courtois had to clear again (41st).
The halftime score of 0:0 was a major setback for Dortmund, despite them creating many moments of brilliance. In comparison, Real was almost invisible in the game, which is not unusual considering their previous strong performances against FC Bayern (2:2/2:1).
The magic touch of Jürgen Klopp, who was considered a good luck charm for Dortmund, could not help them either. Despite being the former Borussia Dortmund coach when they last lost the Champions League final at the same location against Bayern, Klopp was unable to make a difference. The final decision, which fell shortly before the end, was made in favor of Real.
