Real Madrid rebounded strongly in the second half after Borussia Dortmund had an impressive start in the first half.
Vinicius Junior secured Real Madrid’s record-setting 15th Champions League victory by defeating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the final held at Wembley on Saturday.
The Brazilian forward scored the second goal for Madrid in the 83rd minute, following Dani Carvajal’s header that put the team ahead nine minutes earlier.
Despite Dortmund’s dominance in the first half, Madrid’s goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made a series of crucial saves, and Niclas Fullkrug hit the post, preventing Dortmund from scoring.
Carvajal scored the opening goal by heading in Toni Kroos’ corner in the 74th minute.
Jude Bellingham almost doubled the lead shortly after but then assisted Vinicius, who, with only the keeper to beat, fired into the far corner and celebrated.
Vinicius’ goal effectively ended Dortmund’s hopes of achieving a significant Champions League upset. For much of the game, Dortmund appeared capable of halting Madrid’s progress, controlling the chances in the first half.
Coach Edin Terzic’s tactics initially outmaneuvered Carlo Ancelotti’s team, subduing Madrid’s stars.
However, Courtois and the goalposts kept the scores level at halftime after he denied Karim Adeyemi twice and Fullkrug’s effort hit the post.
The halftime break proved beneficial for Madrid, allowing them to gradually dominate the second half.
Last March, the Spanish Public Prosecutor’s Office demanded a four-year and nine-month prison sentence for Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti on charges of tax evasion.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the prosecutor’s office accused the 64-year-old Italian of failing to declare over a million euros in income from image rights payments in 2014 and 2015.
The announcement comes just hours before Real Madrid is set to face RB Leipzig in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16, with the 14-time record champions holding a 1-0 lead from the first leg.
