Loss to Real Madrid - Dortmund experiences a devastating defeat in the Champions League final.
Edin Terzic consoled disheartened Dortmund players as Real Madrid rejoiced in their latest Champions League title, won by Toni Kroos. In spite of good performances and the greatest opportunities, the Bundesliga team lost to the dominant favorite, Real Madrid 0:2 (0:0) in the final played at Wembley Stadium in London.
In attendance by 86,212 spectators, Dortmund missed the chance to lead on multiple occasions. Madrid's goals were scored by Daniel Carvajal (74th minute) and Vinícius Júnior (83rd minute). BVB's custodian Gregor Kobel, while talking on ZDF, said, "Right now, you're just disappointed. We had our chances, but we need to convert them. In the end, they win."
Kroos, who celebrated his final game for the Spanish champion, lifted his sixth Champions League trophy, making him one of the five joint record champions. Before departing, the 34-year-old was replaced amidst loud cheers from the Real fans. The entire arena continued to echo with chants of "Toni, Toni, Toni" long after the final whistle.
Reus made his farewell to the Dortmund fans with a blank stare and hesitant applause. Terzic stood next to the club icon, who is confirmed to be leaving the team.
Dortmund's impressive start
Tens of thousands of BVB fans in the stadium welcomed their players with a well-rehearsed choreography. Thousands in Dortmund were also tuned to the potentially defining moment of the German football summer from public viewing. The first 30 minutes saw the outsider seeming on the verge of achieving a historic triumph, as Terzic had hoped.
After a brief postponement right after kickoff due to several flashes that the stewards allowed on the holy London playground, Dortmund clearly outplayed Real Madrid in the initial half hour. Terzic jumped up from his red coach's seat and encouraged his team to go on the offensive.
Julian Brandt had a chance to score with a shot from the penalty box (14th), and Karim Adeyemi, who had been overlooked for the domestic EURO by national coach Julian Nagelsmann, could have taken the lead twice in the first half. However, the 22-year-old missed the ball by inches in front of Real's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (21st). Then, Courtois blocked Adeyemi's shot again after a race against Carvajal (28th).
Real Madrid invisible for long periods
And Real? The Spanish champion was practically non-existent in the vicinity of Dortmund's penalty area in this phase - quite unlike their usual aggressive play. But did Dortmund expect such guts from the Madrid juggernaut? A mistake from veteran midfielder Kroos, who almost never makes faults, created another opportunity for Dortmund via Marcel Sabitzer, which had to be cleared by Courtois yet again (41st).
By half-time, despite being on top for much of the match, Dortmund was only able to manage a 0-0 draw. Füllkrug hit the post in a dubious call (23rd minute). There was far less action from Madrid than in the semi-final games against Bayern (2-2/2-1). The Bayern boys followed the final on the sidelines along with some of their German teammates in Herzogenaurach, where Klopp, Füllkrug, Schlotterbeck, and Real's Kroos and Rüdiger are expected in the coming days.
Klopp's luck doesn't help
Dortmund icon Jürgen Klopp sat nervously in a VIP lounge of the EURO 2021 stadium. The 56-year-old was the Dortmund coach eleven years ago when the Ruhr club lost the Champions League final at the same location against Bayern. He got restless as the finish line was coming closer. Real seemed stronger that time.
Kroos tested Dortmund's Kobel shortly after the reboot with a powerful free kick from the penalty area, and Carvajal almost scored from a corner moments later. Madrid later defended more effectively and slowed the game's pace. Dortmund's chances like Füllkrug's header were few and far in between (63rd).
In the 72nd minute, Reus came in, Adeyemi went out. Just three minutes later, the blow came: Carvajal headed the ball forcefully into the net after a Kroos' corner. The Real players celebrated the goal wildly. Dortmund's chances grew slimmer. Vinícius Júnior eventually sealed the victory, which saw Füllkrug's goal being disregarded (87th minute).
