As the missed chances piled up at Wembley, Borussia Dortmund would have felt an impending sense of doom spreading through their ranks. This was Real Madrid they were facing after all, the team that never ceases to find a way when the stakes are at their highest. And, eventually, Los Blancos’ supernatural powers saw them through once again in Saturday’s Champions League final.
After Karim Adeyemi had failed to convert a one-on-one midway through the first half and Niclas Fullkrug had wasted a pair of decent chances, Madrid finally went for the kill. First, one of the shortest men on the pitch, Dani Carvajal, headed in from a corner, and Vinicius Jr then made sure of the result by finishing well from inside the box following a poor error from Ian Maatsen.
It’s not just the missed chances that will wrangle Dortmund this evening, either. The fifth-best side in Germany also played this game on their own terms, defending superbly for the most part and controlling proceedings for long spells. Fullkrug’s disallowed goal a few minutes from time neatly summed it up. So close, yet so far for Edin Terzic and Co. The Rebel Alliance failed to topple the evil Empire.
GOAL rates Dortmund’s players from Wembley…
Goalkeeper & Defence
Gregor Kobel (5/10):
Made a meal of Vinicius Junior’s cross in the second half, which nearly proved fatal. Not massively at fault for either goal.
Julian Ryerson (6/10):
Ventured forward to decent effect and stifled Madrid’s infamous threat down the left pretty effectively for the most part. Did not cover himself in glory for Carvajal’s header.
Nico Schlotterbeck (6/10):
Endured a seriously shaky start in possession. Eventually settled down a little in the second half and made a huge block to deny Bellingham.
Mats Hummels (7/10):
A pretty colossal display. Julian Nagelsmann better hope Germany do well in the Euros without him…
Ian Maatsen (5/10):
Was having an impressive game until his mistake, inverting to help his side in possession and flying into some excellent tackles.
Midfield
Emre Can (7/10):
Allowed his side to wrestle control of possession in the first half. Mopped things up off the ball nicely too.
Marcel Sabitzer (6/10):
Full of energy and kept his discipline when Dortmund were defending.
Julian Brandt (7/10):
Good defensive work rate and his delivery was top class. Dortmund’s hub of creativity.
Attack
Jadon Sancho (6/10):
Kept his defensive discipline. Did not see enough of the ball to make a serious impact, though he got his side up the field in transition a few times.
Niclas Fullkrug (5/10):
Needed to be more clinical in front of goal, though he gave Madrid’s centre-backs a tough evening with his physicality.
Karim Adeyemi (6/10):
Agonisingly wasted his one on one and another decent chance. He did cause Carvajal lots of problems, but those misses proved decisive unfortunately.
Subs & Manager
Marco Reus (5/10):
Another defeat in a final in his last-ever Dortmund appearance.
Donyell Malen (N/A):
Introduced late on with Madrid settling things not long after.
Sebastien Haller (N/A):
As above.
Edin Terzic (7/10):
Set up his team pretty much perfectly to counter Madrid’s main threats and hurt them on the break. Individual errors were the difference.
