Where would you want to start from? Jude Bellingham returning to his home country to win the Uefa Champions League title against his former club while providing an assist, doing all that at the age of 20 in his debut season? Or you would want to unravel this intriguing storyline from the Vinicius standpoint, becoming the first Brazilian to score in back-to-back Uefa Champions League finals? Or better still from a Borussia Dortmund perspective, does Marco Reus’ 72nd minute introduction and Real Madrid taking the lead after two minutes a fair reflection of his career of falling short when it mattered most? Or perhaps we may have found the right way to break this down with a departing Toni Kroos showcasing his class with a flawless performance, capping it off with a sensational assist for the first goal, before stepping off the pitch a final time with his hand firmly on the Real Madrid badge, going off to a rousing reception from the Real Madrid fans in the process ?
The rightful place to build upon this breathtaking game is from the city of Léganes in Spain. A relatively unknown lad played for Los Blancos from the youth sides till the first team. 1.75m in height (shortest player on the pitch tonight) but was able to rise highest to nod home the first of two goals that caused ecstasy at Wembley Stadium tonight for Madrid.
Starting in his sixth Champions League final, the goal (and Real Madrid’s 15th title) would have come from no better source than Dani Carvajal.
Carvajal and Vinicius Junior (in what seems to be a performance which cements his podium finish as the best player in the world) scored the two crucial goals for Real Madrid on a colourful and deafening Wembley night.
Borussia Dortmund, aiming to win their first European title since their last triumph in 1997 against Juventus, had Madrid on the fences throughout the first half.
Wembley, a familiar ground for Dortmund and their packed yellow and black supporters, was filled to the roofs with a handful of seats left to be occupied (maybe the seats of people who were yet to troop in)
And when the whistle went for the much anticipated game to get underway, the intrusion (by the pitch invader) couldn’t have been timed much better, as he provided the only stop in a truly frantic game.
After play had resumed and seatbelts had been tightened and fastened, what an exhilarating game both teams delivered ! For what should have marred the game ( pitch invasion) turned out to be a blessing in disguise as Dortmund- the underdogs – held their own, creating and carving Madrid’s defence open at will.
Niclas Fullkrug, one name synonymous to spurned opportunities on the night, was culpable of Dortmund’s undoing, albeit he managed to get the ball in the back of the net late on but was ruled out for offside.
However, it was Dortmund’s Adeyemi who will get the clearest sight at goal when he was played through, rounding off Thibaut Courtois in a 1v1 situation (which is the most difficult part) but stuttered when it mattered most, allowing Dani Carvajal to make a recovery block.
The former Salzburg prodigy’s opportunity spelt danger for Madrid, after Brandt had earlier put his effort from inside the 18-yard-box just wide of Courtois left hand upright.
2 minutes later, Niclas Fullkrug’s (although on a full stretch) right footed toe-poked finish from the ground, cannoned off the inside of the post before Real Madrid managed to scamper the rebound away.
A searing break after 27 minutes saw Julian Brandt’s cushioned pass find a marauding Adeyemi, whose shot stung the palms of Courtois.
It was all Borussia Dortmund thereof, with Marcel Sabitzer’s long range attempt being tipped out once more by Courtois.
At the time of parrying Sabitzer effort – with 5 minutes to the break- the game had seemingly become a shooting practice for Dortmund against a keeper who had been out all season, but he managed to produce a performance which was reminiscent of that against Liverpool in the 2022 finale.
At the halfway point, Real Madrid were the much relieved side; you don’t often hear that. But, at least, Thibaut Courtois was liberated from pacing the full tilt of his area, giving his injury record this season, he had to save himself from spending more time on the sidelines.
Real Madrid, 14 time winners of the Champions league prior to tonight, had been consistently getting away with sheer luck in the Champions League throughout the campaign; told once more.
In a half which was played right in front of the yellow wall at Wembley, Federico Valverde arbitrarily giving the Dortmund fans a taste of on-filed action in addition to the beers and reveling in the stands, was the only significant play for them.
With Matt Hummels winning a foot-race against Vinicius Jr, not much can gloat about that, the first goal from the recess only seem to be from the yellow and black army.
Madrid, however, found their shooting angles and bearings in the second half with Toni Kroos, a man who played in Germany for Dortmunds bitter rivals Bayern, working Kobel out from a set piece.
The departing Kroos, who retires at the end of the season, began the resurgence to ‘A POR LA 15’.
As Real Madrid warmed up into the game and looked much like themselves, rather than the pale shadow from the first half, Dortmund were inches away from going ahead.
Niclas Fullkrug’s glancing header found the hopeful arms of Courtois, who defied the German forward from close range.
But even till then, the deadlock was still not broken until the 73rd minute when Dani Carvajal (a Madridista through and through) rose highest to nod in Toni Kroos’ pinpoint corner kick, giving Madrid the lead.
Borussia Dortmund had been hit and were hit hard, nothing to do, and not even Matt Hummels’ last ditch intervention of throwing his arms aloft to prevent the ball from going in after Kobel had been beating from the corner kick could prevent their pre-destined fate.
The fangs of Los Blancos were out; the ambiance was pumped up, the end was in sight. The goal had brought back the monumental stories from the past.
All of a sudden everything started to fall in place, with Dortmund crumbling under immense pressure, and when Ian Matsen gave the ball inadvertently to Bellingham (perhaps thought they were on the same side), he picked out the run of an unmarked Vinicius Jr. to tuck home to extend their lead.
Although a bit of a scuffed finish, Vinicius’ ball, which hit the ground before arrowing past Kobel, proved to be the decider.
The goal, a vivid representation of how Real Madrid laid siege to Dortmund in their half, pinning the Germans back with nowhere to go.
The fixture, which seemed for larger parts of the first half to go all the way and, perhaps, boil down to a nail biting crescendo, saw Vinicius Jr. riling up the Dortmund fans for the upteenth time, with the game edging closer to its conclusion.
Defeat, which was inevitable for Dortmund from the date both teams secured a final berth, felt classy by an Edin Terzic master plan; containing Real Madrid for 73 minutes, preventing them from getting an effort on target in the first half.
For Ancelotti, a 7th Champions League title as manger and player, puts him a step ahead of the rest, simply in a league of his own. While with Real Madrid, his never ending love story sees him scale new heights.
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Story by: Andrews Sefa Bamfo| univers. ug.edu.gh
