Responses to the Champions League's final game. - Today, it's painful.
Borussia Dortmund was defeated in the Champions League final at Wembley Stadium, London. This loss was particularly disappointing as BVB had dominated for 60 minutes and had better scoring opportunities throughout the match. Real Madrid, on the other hand, played relatively slowly, relying on luck and the skill of their goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois. After the break, Real regained control of the game and scored through Daniel Carvajal and Vinicius Junior to secure a 2-0 victory. It felt like a missed opportunity for Dortmund. Real's players, Toni Kroos and Jude Bellingham, both admitted that they could have lost the game. Reactions to the match were varied.
Mats Hummels, from Borussia Dortmund, was "proud" of his team, although they lost the finals. "We came into this game with passion and class. We unleashed attack after attack. Then they return, like they've done for 100 years. That hurts."
Toni Kroos from Real Madrid said, "My personal farewell was last week. But this game means so much to me. What made the difference was that we didn't concede a goal in the first half. The first half was not great. Then we picked up the pace. It took a while before we were the better team. Sadness doesn't help, but there will be challenging times."
BVB's coach Edin Terzic explained, "In the first half, we were confident that we had Real Madrid. The only thing lacking was their kill instinct."
Carlo Ancelotti, Real's coach, commented, "Dortmund dominated the first half, while we took control in the second. In the end, it was a fitting result."
Hans Joachim Watzke, BVB's managing director, was "extremely disappointed." He noted, "I was a bit doubtful in the first half as we didn't take advantage of the many opportunities. However, you cannot blame the team. They played well. But when you're on top in the game and Real Madrid always wins, that's discouraging."
Antonio Rüdiger, of Real Madrid, said, "It was a hard-fought match. Dortmund played brilliantly. However, in the end, we are Real Madrid. We know how to endure."
Thibaut Courtois, Real's goalkeeper, shared, "The first half was claustrophobic for us. Dortmund had many chances. Carlo asked us at halftime to change our formation from 4-3-3 to 4-4-2 because they hurt us on the wings. We didn't press well and gave them too much space. We made adjustments."
Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid added, "I have to admit, they were better in the first half. They could have taken the lead 2-0 or even 3-0. But if they didn't kill us, we came back."
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Dortmund's coach Edin Terzic expressed his disappointment, stating, "We should have capitalized on our goal opportunities in the first half, which could have changed the outcome of the Champions League final against Real Madrid."
Mats Hummels, in a post-match interview, mentioned, "Despite the loss, Borussia Dortmund showed great determination and quality, creating numerous goal chances against Real Madrid in the final. It's just sad that we couldn't convert them into goals."
Real Madrid's standout player in the game, Toni Kroos, revealed, "I felt Dortmund had the upper hand in the first half of the Champions League final, but we managed to regain control after the interval and capitalize on the few chances we had to secure a 2-0 victory."
Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid's coach, praised his team, saying, "Dortmund dominated the first half of the Champions League final, but we adjusted our strategy at halftime and managed to turn the game around in our favor, demonstrating the team spirit and resilience we are known for."
Borussia Dortmund's BVB squad was commended by Carlo Ancelotti, with the Real Madrid coach acknowledging, "Dortmund's Toni Kroos and Mats Hummels were outstanding in the Champions League final. Their contributions to the game were crucial, and they both played a significant role in creating opportunities and setting up attacks."
