Wembley was yellow. That’s the first thing anyone who was actually in London on June 1st will tell you. Before a ball was even kicked in the UEFA Champions League Final 2024, the Borussia Dortmund fans had essentially turned the home of English football into a satellite office of the Westfalenstadion. It felt different. It felt like a setup for a massive upset.
But then, Real Madrid happened.
If you’ve watched football for more than five minutes, you know the script. One team plays better, hits the post, misses three sitters, and looks destined for glory. The other team is Real Madrid. They just sit there. They wait. They absorb pressure like a high-end sponge until the exact moment you breathe a sigh of relief. Then they kill the game.
The First Half Chaos Nobody Expected
Dortmund didn't just show up to participate. They dominated. For a solid forty-five minutes, Edin Terzić looked like a tactical genius. He had Karim Adeyemi burning past Dani Carvajal like he wasn't there.
Adeyemi had the chance of a lifetime. He rounded Thibaut Courtois—who, let’s be honest, shouldn't have even been starting according to some critics who wanted Andriy Lunin in goal—but he went too wide. The angle died. The chance vanished. Then Niclas Füllkrug hit the inside of the post. You could feel the collective groan from the yellow wall.
It’s weird how football works. You can have 60% of the "big chances" and still feel like you're losing because of who is standing across from you. Madrid looked leggy. Toni Kroos, playing his final club game, was being hounded. It didn't look like the 15-time champions (as they would soon become) were in control at all.
Why the UEFA Champions League Final 2024 Flipped
The second half was a slow-motion car crash for Dortmund. It started with the set pieces. Real Madrid is basically a collection of giants and experts in dark arts.
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In the 74th minute, Dani Carvajal—the shortest man on the pitch or close to it—rose highest at the near post. He flicked a header from a Toni Kroos corner into the far top corner. 1-0. Just like that, the air left Wembley. Dortmund fans, who had been bouncing for two hours, suddenly went quiet.
The mistake from Ian Maatsen a few minutes later was heartbreaking. A loose pass, a gift to Jude Bellingham, who slid it to Vinícius Júnior. Vini doesn't miss those. 2-0. Game over.
The Toni Kroos Factor
We have to talk about Kroos. This was his "Last Dance." He ended his club career with an assist and a trophy. Honestly, his composure is borderline insulting to other players. While everyone else is sprinting and sweating, Kroos looks like he’s playing a casual game of chess in a park.
He finished the match with a 94% pass accuracy. In a final. Against a high-pressing German side. That’s not normal. It’s why Madrid wins these things—they have players who don't feel the temperature of the room.
The Courtois Gamble Paid Off
Carlo Ancelotti took a lot of heat for starting Thibaut Courtois. Lunin had carried them through the Manchester City and Bayern Munich rounds. People called it "unfair" or "disrespectful" to the Ukrainian keeper.
But Ancelotti is a winner. He knows that in a final, you want the 6'7" monster who has been there before. Courtois made three massive saves in the first half that kept Madrid in it. If Lunin starts, maybe those go in. Maybe not. But Ancelotti doesn't deal in "maybe." He deals in certainties.
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Tactical Reality Check
Dortmund’s plan was actually solid. They used a mid-block and exploited the space behind Madrid’s fullbacks. Mats Hummels was playing like it was 2014, pinging balls over the top with outside-of-the-boot passes that belonged in a museum.
But Madrid’s adaptability is their greatest strength. They switched from a 4-3-1-2 to a more rigid 4-4-2 in the second half to protect the flanks. They stopped the bleeding. Most teams panic when they get outplayed for an hour. Madrid just views it as a necessary part of the process. It's arrogant, and it's effective.
Key Stats from the Night
- Total Shots: Dortmund 13, Real Madrid 13.
- Shots on Target: Dortmund 3, Real Madrid 6.
- Expected Goals (xG): Dortmund 2.09, Real Madrid 1.13.
Look at those numbers. Dortmund should have won. They doubled Madrid’s xG. But xG doesn't account for the "Madrid DNA" or whatever marketing term you want to use for "being better at winning."
What Most People Get Wrong About This Game
There’s this narrative that Dortmund "bottled it." That’s lazy.
They played a near-perfect game for 70 minutes. They didn't collapse; they just got caught by the best transition team in the world. When you play Real Madrid, you aren't playing against a tactic. You’re playing against a psychological inevitability.
Also, Jude Bellingham wasn't actually at his best. He looked tired. He’d had a long season and was clearly carrying a shoulder issue. But he still provided the assist for the second goal. That's the difference between a superstar and a regular player—producing the goods when you're having a "bad" game.
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Moving Forward: Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you're looking back at the UEFA Champions League Final 2024 to understand where European football is headed, here are the real takeaways.
First, the "experience gap" is widening. Dortmund had a squad of hungry, talented players, but Madrid had winners who have lifted this trophy five or six times. You can't coach that.
Second, the importance of a world-class goalkeeper in a single-leg final is underrated. Don't look at the scoreline; look at the first 30 minutes. The game should have been 2-0 to Dortmund. Courtois changed the gravity of the match.
Lastly, watch the transition from the "old guard" to the "new guard." This was the bridge. Kroos leaves, but Bellingham and Vini Jr. are firmly in charge now. Madrid isn't going away. They already signed Kylian Mbappé right after this. It's almost unfair.
To really understand this match, watch the full 90 minutes again—not just the highlights. Focus on Dani Carvajal’s positioning. He was getting beat early on, but he adjusted, stayed patient, and eventually scored the winner. It's a masterclass in professional resilience.
For those analyzing future finals, remember: dominance in the first half rarely guarantees a trophy. The game is won in the moments when the pressure is highest, usually between the 70th and 90th minute. That is where legends are made, and where Dortmund unfortunately fell short.