Clinical Madrid overcome Dortmund to win Champions League for 15th time

Real Madrid claimed a record-extending 15th UEFA Champions League title after battling past Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at Wembley.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side had to withstand strong spells of pressure from their opponents, but second-half goals from Dani Carvajal and Vinicius Junior delivered Los Blancos’ sixth European crown in 11 years.

Dortmund carried the greater threat during the opening period of their first Champions League final appearance since losing to compatriots Bayern Munich here in 2013.

Karim Adeyemi was unable to capitalise in the 21st minute after going through one-on-one with Thibaut Courtois, while Niklas Fullkrug struck the post soon after.

The Bundesliga side were made to rue those missed opportunities as Madrid broke through with 16 minutes remaining, with Carvajal brilliantly guiding Toni Kroos’ corner beyond the helpless Gregor Kobel.

Nico Schlotterbeck’s superb last-ditch intervention denied Jude Bellingham three minutes later, but Los Blancos sealed victory seven minutes from time.

Ian Maatsen’s loose square pass was intercepted by Bellingham, who immediately presented Vinicius with the opportunity to secure the trophy, which he did not pass up.

Once again, Los Blancos stand at the pinnacle of European club football. Their record tally of 15 titles is more than double that of their nearest challengers, Milan (seven).

Although on the back foot for most of the first half – and failing to register a shot on target – Madrid demonstrated yet again how difficult they are to be beaten. Indeed, only Atletico Madrid managed it all season.

Dortmund were subsequently left to wonder what might have been, with Ancelotti’s side striking twice in the final 16 minutes to seal a hard-earned victory.

However, the pair do so as the joint-most decorated players in Champions League history – along with team-mates Carvajal and Luka Modric after winning their sixth winner’s medals.

While this is Madrid’s 15th triumph in Europe’s premier club competition, it is their first having gone unbeaten throughout the campaign – becoming the second Spanish side to achieve the feat after Barcelona in 2005-06.

Once again, the Brazilian superstar’s contributions in the Champions League proved vital for Madrid.

Scoring in his second final – after netting the winner against Liverpool two years ago – he has been directly involved in 22 goals in the Champions League knockout stages, the joint-most by any player before turning 24 (along with a certain Lionel Messi).

Vinicius also completed eight dribbles – as many as every other player in the game combined – for the most by a player in a final since Messi’s tally of 10 against Juventus in 2015.

The 23-year-old is also the first player since Luis Figo (in 1999-2000 and 2000-01) to register five or more goals and assists in successive Champions League seasons.

Borussia Dortmund: Kobel 7, Ryerson 7, Hummels 8, Schlotterbeck 8, Maatsen 6, Can 7, Sabitzer 7, Sancho 6, Brandt 7, Adeyemi 7, Fullkrug 7. Subs: Reus 6, Malen 6, Haller N/A, Bynoe-Gittens 6.

Real Madrid: Courtois 8, Carvajal 9, Rudiger 8, Nacho 8, Mendy 8, Valverde 7, Camavinga 8, Kroos 8, Bellingham 7, Rodrygo 6, Vinicius 9*. Subs: Joselu N/A, Modric N/A, Militao 6, Vazquez N/A.

21′ – WHAT A CHANCE: Adeyemi bends his run perfectly to spring the offside trap and latch onto a throughball. The Dortmund winger is one-on-one with Courtois, who he rounds to the goalkeeper’s right, but his touch is a little heavy and forces him wide, before the Madrid defence recovers and Carvajal blocks his eventual shot. As Ally McCoist points out in commentary, he would have been better going to the goalkeeper’s left. But, hindsight is a wonderful thing!

23′ – OFF THE POST: The woodwork comes to Madrid’s rescue with Dortmund full of momentum. Maatsen threads a lovely throughball for a sliding Fullkrug, who beats Courtois, but sees the ball cannon away off the left post. Replays suggest he may have been offside anyway, but the Bundesliga side were so close there.

28′ – DORTMUND COUNTER: They do so with blistering pace as Adeyemi races onto a throughball. The winger is a little wide and Courtois manages to keep out his shot from a tight angle. Despite a valiant effort, a diving Fullkrug cannot quite generate the pace and direction on a header to truly test the Madrid goalkeeper a second time.

49′ – GOOD TRY: Kroos whips a delicious free-kick towards Kobel’s top-right corner, and the Dortmund goalkeeper does well to get across and push it away. The retiring midfielder takes the subsequent corner, but Carvajal cannot keep his header down.

74′ – GOAL!!! BORUSSIA DORTMUND 0-1 REAL MADRID (CARVAJAL): Los Blancos break the deadlock via the most unlikely source! Carvajal is found at the near post by Kroos’ corner, and brilliantly guides his header into Kobel’s far-left corner. Fullkrug does his best on the line, but cannot keep it out.

77′ – GREAT BLOCK: Camavinga does well to keep the ball in play and cut it back for Bellingham. The midfielder looks to slot home the second goal, but Schlotterbeck gets a vital touch to divert the ball wide of the target.

83′ – GOAL!!! BORUSSIA DORTMUND 0-2 REAL MADRID (VINICIUS): That could be game, set and match, Madrid! It is a nightmare for Maatsen, whose careless square ball near his own penalty area is intercepted by Bellingham. He immediately finds Vinicius, who steadies himself before neatly finishing past a helpless Kobel.