Three questions and three answers from Real Madrid 2-0 Borussia Dortmund

Real Madrid secured a 15th Champions League title by beating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at Wembley Stadium on Saturday night. Los Blancos had to suffer through the first hour but grew into the game in the second half and took the lead when Dani Carvajal nodded in a well-worked header, with Vinícius Júnior making it two minutes later to seal the win.

Three answers

1. Would Real Madrid win a 15th European Cup?

Yes, it’s 15 Champions League titles for Real Madrid. Just like that golden era in the 1950s and 1960s, Real Madrid have now secured six Champions League titles in 10 years. Such dominance of the European scene is unprecedented. As a reminder, only one side, AC Milan, has ever won more than six European Cups in their entire history, let alone in a single decade. Real Madrid have done it twice. It also meant that Nacho Fernández, Luka Modrić, Dani Carvajal and Toni Kroos have drawn level with Paco Gento on six European Cups as the most decorated players in history. Carlo Ancelotti’s tally is now at seven, including two as a player and five as a coach, with three coming while at Real Madrid.

2. Would the gap in quality between the two teams be as big as it looked on paper?

In the build-up to this game, much of the talk was about Real Madrid being not just “favourites” but “favoritísimos” to win the title. Dortmund finished the Bundesliga season 5th, 27 points behind Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen, and had struggled at times in the knock-out stages against PSV Eindhoven and Atlético Madrid. There was every reason to believe that it could be a challenge for them to compete with the quality, experience and confidence of a Real Madrid side who had swept to the La Liga title and overcome Manchester City and Bayern Munich en route to the final. In the first half, it looked the opposite, but in the end it was the quality that told and Real Madrid showed their ability to turn up for the big occasion and live up to that tag of favourites.

3. Could Real Madrid secure a first win at Wembley?

Real Madrid had only played once at Wembley before Saturday night, that one time being a 3-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League group stage in 2017. This was the first time Los Blancos ever played a final at the sporting arena, which was a cause of great excitement for the 25,000 Madridistas who were in the stands with a ticket, and the thousands more who traveled to London even without a way into the stadium for the game. Dortmund fans also packed out the arena as Real Madrid secured a historic first win at Wembley, putting it into a list of iconic arenas where Real Madrid have won the Champions League, despite Los Blancos having played their only twice in their history.

Three questions

1. Did Real Madrid deserve to win this game?

Many neutrals will tell you that the answer to this question is no. But as has been a theme throughout this season, Real Madrid won despite not being at their dominant best. Dortmund started the better team in the first half but Real Madrid showed the stamina and the ability to maintain their level of quality to the very end of the game which was when it made a difference. Dortmund’s 1.86 xG compared to Real Madrid’s 1.14 reflected that notion, but also that Los Blancos had the confidence and ability to take their chances where the Germans had failed to do so earlier on in the game. Those margins make a difference at the highest level, and this is as high a level as there is in football.

2. Will this game set Vinícius Júnior up for the Ballon d’Or?

When Vinícius received the ball in space on the left hand side of the box, his mind will have been racing, but by getting his name on the scoresheet he has most likely also boosted his Ballon d’Or hopes. The Brazilian has been crucial throughout this Champions League run, scoring six goals in total. Here, his composed finish to kill off the game with minutes left to go showed the kind of quality that he has brought into his game in the last few years. Now, he is surely the stand-out candidate to win the biggest individual prize in football. Jude Bellingham was also in contention, but Vini’s goal on the big night sets him ahead, and now the Copa America will be his chance to secure it should he play well for Brazil.

3. How many players were making their last Real Madrid appearance at Wembley?

We all know that this was Toni Kroos’ last ever appearance at club level, and brought the curtain down on his time with Real Madrid. However, there were several unknowns which are yet to be officially confirmed. Captain Nacho Fernández is widely expected to bring an end to his time with Real Madrid, while Luka Modrić and Lucas Vázquez are both expected to sign new contract extensions to stay with the club until 2025, at least. Kroos’ emotional celebrations as he departed showed what this meant to him and his team-mates, but it did look as though many others could look to extend their stays and experience more magical nights like this one.