Real Madrid have won the Champions League for a record 15th time after beating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in Saturday’s final.
Los Blancos went into this season’s showpiece event at Wembley as the heavy favourites and they eventually lived up to their billing with victory in London, playing within themselves for long stretches of the evening.
BVB were unlikely finalists having conquered Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals and then Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals, but they failed to produce another upset and fell to an agonising defeat.
Karim Adeyemi and Niclas Fullkrug spurned huge chances for Dortmund in the first half and they were made to rue their wastefulness in front of goal.
Madrid were a little fortunate to get into half-time at 0-0 after a superb opening 45 minutes from BVB, and they broke the deadlock midway through the second half when Dani Carvajal headed in a Toni Kroos corner – his first Champions League goal in five years.
That proved to be Kroos’ last meaningful act as a Madrid player having recently announced his decision to retire after this summer’s Euro 2024.
He, as well as captain Nacho Fernandez, were playing their final game for the club, while Marco Reus came off the bench for his last Dortmund appearance.
With just under ten minutes remaining, Vinicius Junior scored after Ian Maatsen gave away possession at the back far too easily to ice the game and seal another Champions League for Madrid.
Dortmund thought they pulled one back late on through Fullkrug but he was denied by an offside flag.
That was the closest the Bundesliga side came to clawing their way back into the contest.
Madrid’s triumph at Wembley sees them complete a memorable double having also finished first in La Liga, wrestling the Spanish title back from rivals Barcelona.
They have now also won the Champions League in two of the last three years as well as six times in the last 10 years.
What we know
- Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in 2024 UEFA Champions League final
- Dani Carvajal and Vinicius Junior with decisive goals at Wembley
- Los Blancos have now won European Cup record 15 times
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