Real Madrid won the 15th Champions League in its history, defeating Borussia Dortmund at Wembley (0-2). Find the tops and flops of this final.
TOPS
Courteous doesn’t let anything slip
An air of déjà vu. As in 2022 against Liverpool at the Stade de France (0-1), Thibaut Courtois is the man in this final. The Belgian goalkeeper, who had not played a single C1 match this season before this last round, saved Real on numerous occasions in the first period. His interventions against Adeyemi and Füllkrug left the Merengue alive, at the heart of Borussia’s domination. Less used after the break, but still as reassuring.
Carvajal, like a symbol
Like Real Madrid as a whole, Daniel Carvajal went through all the stages during this final. In his right lane, the Madrid side suffered for a long time against Adeyemi’s speed. Often overwhelmed, and misaligned on several Borussia opportunities in the first half. The 32-year-old finally used his experience to raise his head after the hour mark. Not really skillful with his crosses, he nevertheless turned the game around by opening the score with a header from a corner (73rd). The action which led the Merengue to their fifteenth C1.
Kroos, a last successful one
An exit through the front door. For his final match with Real, Toni Kroos did not miss his farewells. In a battered midfield, the German international did not succeed in everything, but he remained correct in his transmissions throughout the match (97% of successful passes). The quality of his set pieces hurt Borussia in the second half. If Kobel was able to repel his two perfectly curled free kicks, he was able to be decisive when his corner found the head of Carvajal. A final offering at the conclusion of his enormous journey with the Merengue.
FLOPS
Dortmund, a crippling lack of efficiency
Beaten at the end of the match, Borussia can have enormous regrets given their excellent performance for almost an hour. Without complexes, Dortmund made Real suffer but never knew how to realize their superiority. A lack of efficiency symbolized by Karim Adeyemi. Highly visible in his lane, the 22-year-old left winger poorly negotiated his two good chances in the first period. Certainly Courtois had a great night, but there was clearly better to do with these two actions. Only Füllkrug thought he could deceive the Madrid goalkeeper’s vigilance, but his goal at the end of the match was logically refused for an offside position.
Maatsen’s huge mistake
Stunned by Madrid’s opener, Dortmund suffered terribly at the end of the match. And the knockout didn’t take long. A second goal, signed Vinicius, caused by a terrible blunder by Ian Maasten. Not really pressed by Rodrygo, the Borussia left-back completely missed his recovery, sending the ball directly to Bellingham. The Englishman took advantage of this offering to serve his Brazilian teammate. The rest, we know it. An unfortunate outcome for the Dutch player, who had until then put in a good performance.
