Review of the 2023 2024 UEFA Champions League Final, 15th Title for Real Madrid

The Last Dance of Two German Legends

 

A chance for redemption at Wembley after 10 years.  
A shot at the 15th Champions League title.  
An opportunity to set the record for the most Champions League wins by a player.  
A chance for a manager to achieve an unparalleled Champions League victory record.

Counterattack vs. Counterattack.  
Youthful exuberance vs. seasoned experience.

 

In the end, 

it was Real Madrid who smiled in this final game of the season, a match with many potential subplots.

Both teams came out with the expected lineups. 

Borussia Dortmund’s legend Marco Reus waited on the bench, while Real Madrid had Thibaut Courtois back from injury replacing the flu-stricken Andriy Lunin. 

Although, even if Lunin had been healthy, Courtois might have started anyway. 

Only Ancelotti knows. 

Regardless, Real Madrid can be grateful to have such options in goal.

 

Early on, Dortmund controlled the game. 

While Real Madrid had superior individual quality, Dortmund had a solid plan from coach Terzic that worked well in the first half.

Real Madrid, when in possession, would drop Kroos back to form a La Volpiana with Kroos orchestrating switches of play and controlling the tempo.

Their main attack involved pushing Dortmund players deep to one side and then launching an attack with Kroos's long diagonal passes.

Vinícius on the left and Carvajal on the right would then carry the ball, but this strategy didn’t work well in the first half.

 

Dortmund’s wingers, Jadon Sancho and Karim Adeyemi, dropped deep to cover the flanks, reminiscent of their semifinal against Paris. 

They utilized Füllkrug's physical prowess to hold up the ball and connect with Sabitzer and Brandt, who would then feed the speedy wingers. 

Despite the demanding workload, the wingers followed through, allowing Dortmund to steadily take control in the first half.

 

Center-back duo Hummels and Schlotterbeck also showed good form. 

Veteran Hummels continuously thwarted Vinícius’s dribbling runs, using his experience to compensate for any physical disadvantages. 

Schlotterbeck effectively handled Rodrygo and Carvajal on the opposite side.

 

And he even launched direct passes to exploit Real's defensive gaps. 

A crucial moment came when Füllkrug’s pass to Brandt resulted in a shot that went over Courtois, 

which could have changed the game if it had gone in.

 

Dortmund’s dominance in the first half was clear, 

but they failed to score largely because of Courtois’s brilliant saves. 

Despite his long injury layoff, Courtois was superb, reminiscent of his performance in the 2021-2022 Champions League final against Liverpool. 

His presence gave Real the resilience to hold on.

 

It's hard to say but, maybe Real Madrid fans could think it's rather fortunate that Lunin didn't be in the starting line-up through another reason.

Courtois was perfect that much.

Of couse, I don't hesitate to believe that Lunin could be perfect as well.

 

It would be understandable if Dortmund felt that Lady Luck had abandoned them. 

They created numerous excellent chances, like the aforementioned shot from Brandt, but not a single one found the back of the net. 

Most of their attempts were thwarted by Courtois’s brilliant saves, and some painfully struck the post. 

Dortmund managed the game exceptionally well, missing only the crucial goal. 

 

However, the problem with soccer is that it's a sport where you have to score.

 

Entering the second half, Dortmund's game plan continued to work initially, but as time wore on, their energy levels visibly dropped. 

This shift opened up opportunities for Real Madrid.

After the 70th minute, Dortmund substituted the exhausted Adeyemi for Reus. 

Unfortunately, Reus had little impact, not creating or seizing any significant opportunities, as Real Madrid began to take control.

 

The key to Real Madrid's victory lay in their set pieces.

The heroes were Toni Kroos, performing his last dance at Real, and Dani Carvajal, one of the team’s most seasoned veterans.

It’s uncommon for a full-back to score a header from a set piece, at least in my experience.

While taller full-backs like Arsenal’s Ben White might contest headers during corner kicks, most full-backs are relatively shorter, so they typically aim for second balls or prepare for counter-attacks with their speed.

Thanks to Kroos’s precise corner kick and Carvajal’s impeccable positioning, Real scored the opening goal. 

 

This prompted a desperate reaction from Dortmund, who reduced their midfield numbers and increased their forward presence by substituting Emre Can with Sébastien Haller to form a two-striker formation. 

Reus and Sabitzer took up central roles.

Dortmund aimed to be more direct in their pursuit of an equalizer, but their lack of experience ultimately hindered them.

 

Young full-back Ian Maatsen, who had been consistently impressive during his loan spell at Dortmund this season, made a critical mistake with a misplaced lateral pass. 

This error, which could be seen as a snowball effect from the absence of key playmakers Brandt and Emre Can, happened within just three minutes. 

Maatsen, who played various roles including that of an inverted full-back, needed proper support from his teammates to succeed.

 

Maatsen’s errant pass was intercepted by Bellingham, who quickly fed the ball to Vinicius Jr. running in from the opposite side. 

 

Vinicius did not waste this opportunity.

 

Throughout the match, while Courtois made a series of spectacular saves for Real Madrid, Dortmund's goalkeeper Kobel also stood firm. 

Kobel matched Courtois's brilliance with several remarkable saves, but he couldn't stop Vinicius’s shot during such a clear-cut scoring chance.

 

After the goal, Toni Kroos was substituted to a standing ovation, ending his club career. 

Replacing him was Luka Modrić, another Real legend, who despite his age, plans to play another season.

With the clock well past the 80th minute, no further significant events occurred. 

Real Madrid calmly saw out the game, leaving Dortmund with no real options.

Thus, 

this season's Champions League trophy returned once more to the reigning kings of Europe, Real Madrid.