2024 UCL Roundup: Real Madrid Do the Inevitable

Real Win Record-Extending 15th Champions League Title

Dortmund Run Comes to Bittersweet End

Toni Kroos’ club career ended in glory as Real Madrid won their record-extending 15th Champions League title on Saturday. Madrid didn’t put in the best performance but their experience and patience were key in the 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund. The win capped off another excellent Champions League season, in which Dortmund were surprise finalists. We’ll take a look back at this season’s key moments in our 2024 UCL Roundup.

The Final

Borussia Dortmund came out firing in the first half of Saturday’s Final vs. Real Madrid. Dortmund, +400 underdogs, had three excellent chances. Karim Adeyemi managed to round Real Madrid keeper Thibaut Courtois, who was playing his first UCL match of the season, but a heavy touch cut down the German’s angle. Niclas Fullkrug hit the post and Courtois made a good save on another Adeyemi shot.

Real Madrid looked a bit shell shocked in the first half, as they couldn’t manage to get much going offensively. Still, Vinicius Junior did look dangerous on the left wing when he received the ball.

In the second half, Dortmund seemed to run out of gas. Real Madrid smelled blood and Dani Carvajal ended up heading in a Toni Kroos corner to put Real up 1-0 in the 74th minute. Vini doubled the lead nine minutes later as Jude Bellingham got on the end of a poor pass from Dortmund’s Ian Maatsen and fed Real Madrid’s left winger.

Kroos, Carvajal, Luka Modric and Nacho all won their sixth Champions League title, an individual record shared with former Real Madrid left winger Paco Gento. Carlo Ancelotti also won his fifth UCL as a manager, which is two more than any other manager. The last match on this season’s Champions League schedule didn’t end the way Dortmund wanted it to, but they deserve a lot of credit for trying to go at Real.

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Real Madrid’s UCL Love Affair

Our 2024 UCL Roundup notes Real Madrid have won each of their last nine appearances in the Champions League Final. Even when they’re not playing at their best, Real Madrid find a way to win time and time again.

In the Quarterfinals, Real Madrid needed penalties to outlast defending champions Manchester City but backup keeper Andriy Lunin helped Real get the job done. In the Semifinal, Joselu stepped up with two big late goals to complete a comeback vs. Bayern Munich. Real Madrid’s belief is second to none and they’re set to add even more talent in the offseason.

Kylian Mbappe’s transfer to Real Madrid is likely to be confirmed this week. So, while Real Madrid have lost multiple legends over the last few years, they seem to always restock with World Class talent. Vini Jr. and Jude Bellingham had incredible campaigns, though, and they should make up Real’s core for years to come. Incredibly, this was the first time Real Madrid didn’t lose any of their Champions League fixtures.

Dortmund Make First Final Appearance Since 2013

To say Borussia Dortmund’s appearance in the 2024 Champions League Final was a surprise would be putting it lightly. Dortmund weren’t exactly tipped to get out of a challenging group with PSG, AC Milan and Newcastle United. BVB came in at +175 odds to advance out of the group but they ended up finishing in first place in the Group F Champions League standings, with a 3-2-1 record.

Dortmund took down PSV in the Round of 16. Then, they pulled off an improbable comeback over Atletico Madrid to advance to the Semifinals. Dortmund had fortune on their side vs. PSG, as the Parisians hit the woodwork too many times to count.

Still, Dortmund held up their end of the bargain and won 1-0 in both legs to advance to their first UCL Final since 2013. Like in 2013, Dortmund lost at Wembley but Edin Terzic and his players have a lot to be proud of. Standouts included goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, defenders Mats Hummels and Nico Schlotterbeck, midfielders Marcel Sabitzer and Julian Brandt and wingers Karim Adeyemi and Jadon Sancho.

Notable Teams, Moments and Players

FC Copenhagen surprised quite a few people by finishing in second place in Group A. Copenhagen finished ahead of both Galatasaray and Manchester United but met their demise in the Round of 16 vs. Manchester City.

In 2023-24, Arsenal made their first Champions League appearance since the 2016-17 season. The Gunners finished on top of Group B and ended up reaching the Quarter-Finals for the first time since 2010. There, the Gunners fell to Bayern Munich and a familiar rival.

In his first season with Bayern Munich, Harry Kane won the European Golden Shoe. The former Tottenham man scored 36 goals in the Bundesliga and won a share of the Champions League Golden Boot.

Both Kane and Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe scored eight goals in the UCL. Their teams both went out in the Semifinals, so they didn’t get a last chance to break the tie.

Meanwhile, our 2024 UCL Roundup notes Jude Bellingham and Marcel Sabitzer both provided five assists, which led the competition. Sabitzer’s Borussia Dortmund teammate Gregor Kobel led the UCL with six clean sheets.


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