Borussia Dortmund – Real Madrid: You Can’t Kid a Kidder (0-2)

Real Madrid maintain their magic. Dortmund’s deep running daggers powered their transition tactics before the break, but Ancelotti’s astute approach patched up the problems. Resilience resides in the hands of his players, who have the know how to solve situations for themselves. We’ve seen the same story so many times: maybe the solution is actually as simple as it seems?

Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere.

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The beauty of cup competition lies in the requirement of mere moments for success. These two clubs have taught themselves to summon forth a special type of energy beneath the bright lights in Europe.

The royals return to the final of the Champions League as heavyweights. Real Madrid’s might met continental kingpins on the way to this stage of the competition. The reigning champions, Manchester City, crashed out in the last eight where a shootout settled the score before the Bavarians bowed out to a brace from Joselu at the death in the second leg of the semi-final. Drama dominates the scripts, but it is no accident. Carlo Ancelotti allows the individual class of the players to pave the path to victory.

Borussia Dortmund dare to dream as the rank outsiders. The Germans have been bereft of their usual bullishness in the Bundesliga, dipping out of the top four for the first time in nine years. However, a place in the Champions League is in their hands thanks to European exploits. It is an achievement that suits the strengths of the squad. Their fans have embraced the wonder of the Westfalstadion, while Edin Terzić typically turns to a robust rearguard. Can his players perform one more masterpiece?

Terzić trusted the lineup that locked out PSG across 180 minutes. So, Marco Reus, in his final last outing for Dortmund, would not feature in the action from the beginning. Karim Adeyemi and Jadon Sancho stood to either side of Niclas Füllkrug in the offense. Emre Can captained in front of the defense, while Marcel Sabitzer and Julian Brandt filled the other two slots in the middle of the park. Julian Ryerson, Mats Hummels, Nico Schlotterbeck, and Ian Maatsen occupied the rearguard.

Ancelotti announced the starting eleven that many would have expected. Thibaut Courtois claimed the position between the posts in place of Andriy Lunin. Nacho led out the troops one last time from the center of the defense next to Antonio Rüdiger. Aurélien Tchouaméni had suffered a stress injury to his foot in the previous phase of the tournament, so was not a part of the squad. His compatriot, Eduardo Camavinga, stepped in for him, and Toni Kroos would bow out from football on the same stage.

Dortmund deny the right spaces

Dortmund’s deep defense stood strong in the semi-final. The Germans gave their latest opponents the due respect. They sat in a 4-1-4-1 block, pushing out Sabitzer and Brandt from the midfield row to put pressure on the ball and prevent passivity. The wingers would hold back their position. Sancho’s support on the left wing worked against Madrid’s favored flank where Vinícius looked to torment Ryerson on the outside, while Adeyemi was attentive to switches to release right back Dani Carvajal.

The plan proved to be problematic for Madrid. Can circled close to Bellingham, whose ball contacts were mainly in the phase of progression. He would roam toward the left of the pitch, where the two Brazilians also frequented, and these positional freedoms filtered out the presence in the penalty area once the play entered the final third. Indeed, this dynamic also was in effect if Kroos flipped the focus of the play from his deep slot between or to the left of the central defenders. Carvajal could not clip crosses into the box immediately upon reception, and black and yellow shirts shifted backward.

Madrid do not demand a higher share of the ball to be a threat, and a greater stake of the possession was not translating into entries in ideal spots on the pitch. Pangs of nerves were also noticeable against phases of pressure from Dortmund: the display in the first half was far from convincing.

13^th minute: offensive sequence from Real Madrid. Camavinga cut forwards with the ball and then breaks the lines with a pass into the feet of Bellingham. Can was in a position to be able to put him under pressure; the offensive midfielder does not open up his body or continue carrying, but chooses to release Vinícius on the outside. Rodrygo refrains from a deep run, pulling behind his compatriot. But Hummels was now close enough to cover Ryerson, while Sancho doubled up on the inside.

Adeyemi attacks the gaps

Ancelotti’s men also struggle to execute a stern high press. They set up in a 4-4-2 formation off the ball. Once more, the two Brazilians operated in the first line of pressure and Bellingham sat on the left of the midfield. Terzić’s troops knew that the use of the ball could constitute relief for their rearguard. Aggressive attacks did not follow at every available opening. The right reared itself as a refuge from pressure through the reliable retention of Sancho, while Maatsen moved inside into a 3 + 2 base in longer spells of circulation. Above all, the possibility of a switch into space on the left loomed large.

33^rd minute: offensive sequence from Borussia Dortmund. Can dribbled from a position between the two central defenders. Brandt drops away from Rüdiger and moves behind Camavinga to receive the ball. Adeyemi watched his captain from the left: as Valverde handed over responsibility to Carvajal, he motioned deep and then arcs a run into the inside channel once Brandt swivels on the half turn.

Adeyemi’s searing speed presented itself as a dynamic mismatch with Carvajal. The winger would wander free in the 21st minute. Hummels marched beyond Vinícius and strode to the halfway line. Nacho edged forward in view of the falling Füllkrug, while Carvajal covered Adeyemi’s run from the far side. His opposite number had arched his movement to perfection to shatter the offside line. Yet, he did not take his momentum round Courtois, and Carvajal clambered back to block his effort.

Real’s restraint resolves the matter

Ancelotti adapted the layout. His men moved in a more conservative 4-5-1 system in which Rodrygo remained centrally. Valverde stayed on the right of the midfield and would drop back into the last line for extra security against Adeyemi. Even on the left wing, Vinícius committed to more defensive effort. The gaps closed to release runners, and Dortmund’s threat fizzled out with more possession.

Less of the ball called for clarity in the final third when Madrid were present. Vinícius doubled down on his dribbles from the left. Now, greater goal orientation arrived from Bellingham and Rodrygo. Notably, Bellingham was in a more central role where he crashed the danger zone with his movement.

69^th minute: offensive sequence from Real Madrid. Vinícius cuts inside from the left and whips the ball into the box. Rodrygo had been the highest offensive presence in the center of the pitch, taking the attention of Schlotterbeck. Bellingham stood next to Can and sprinted forward off the back of the defensive midfielder, creeping undetected. Only Kobel’s presence prevented him from heading home.

Set-pieces signaled another issue. Dortmund did not produce much out of their corners. Brandt’s balls into the box were suboptimal, and dominance in the air from Madrid defined this duels. Time and again, Kroos caressed corners to the near post, where white shirts slipped free from their markers.

Vinícius vanquishes the dream

The corner count clinched the lead. Vinícius skipped forward on the break, knocking possession around Hummels to enter the final third. The winger flicked the ball through the legs of Ryerson and was free, but Hummels had fallen back into position to cover, conceding a set-piece. Kroos clipped a cross to the edge of the six yard box. Carvajal connected in the air, steering a looping header towards the goal. Gregor Kobel was out of reach, and Hummels had no response with a goal line clearance.

🔥 What a time to score your second #UCL goal, @DaniCarvajal92!
🏆 #CHAMP15NS pic.twitter.com/GkGEvk0KQd

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) June 3, 2024

Terzić threw on offensive reinforcements in the 80th minute. Donyell Malen came on for Can, so Sabitzer sat deeper in the midfield, and the manager brought Brandt off the field for Sébastien Haller. However, the favorites felt in their element, ready to register a second strike on the scoreline. Dortmund handed over one on a plate. Maatsen misplaced a pass deep in his half, and Bellingham picked up the loose ball. He sent away Vinícius to slot beyond the goalkeeper and wrap up the result.

Terzić’s tinkering had emptied out the midfield, and Dortmund’s dented spirits could not cope. Füllkrug fired a header home to half the deficit, but an offside call killed the comeback. Ancelotti allowed himself to relax once and for all. Luka Modrić, Lucas Vázquez, Joselu and Éder Militão all saw out the final moments as a 15th Champions League title belonged to the kings of the continent.

Real Madrid’s run to the Champions League final in xG…

❌ RB Leipzig 2.44 - 2.20 Real Madrid

❌ Manchester City 3.54 - 2.09 Real Madrid

✅ Real Madrid 4.85 - 1.93 Bayern Munich

❌ Borussia Dortmund 1.84 - 1.15 Real Madrid

As Carlo Ancelotti said, “it can’t be coincidence”.

— Sam Leveridge (@samleveridge) June 1, 2024

Takeaways

Borussia Dortmund did not wipe the Wembley woes of 2013 from their memories. And the camp came close to doing the impossible. Terzić’s triumphs in the dugout often involved outfits that wish to have more of the ball and the blueprint built enough pressure to punish the opposition. However, once that ruthlessness was absent, familiar faults were costly at the elite level. Struggles against set-pieces and set defenses had blighted most of their Bundesliga campaign. The fine margins are apparent.

Real Madrid made more history. Their amorphous identity is at the heart of this success. Ancelotti always want to his empower his players, and he is at peace with risks that this faith requires. Would a rigid repertoire of tactics allow for the switches from the second half that proved to be profitable? Such silverware shows the wild old fox has his head in the right place, and if the rumors are true, the rest of Europe should stay on high alert at the talent that will enter through the door in the summer.

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