Real Madrid Defeats Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in Champions League Final 2023-2024 at Wembley
On the early morning of June 2, Real Madrid secured a 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final at Wembley. This marked Real Madrid’s 18th appearance in the final, seven more than any other team (Bayern Munich and AC Milan with 11 each).
Carlo Ancelotti’s team had a challenging journey to the final. They won all six group stage matches against Napoli, Braga, and Union Berlin, teams with limited experience in Europe’s premier competition, finishing at the top of Group C. Real Madrid showcased an impressive average of 2.66 goals per match.
In the knockout stages, Real Madrid continued their dominance. They beat Union Berlin 1-0 at home, won 3-2 against Napoli and 2-1 against Braga away, followed by a 3-0 home victory against Braga, a 4-2 win over Napoli at Santiago Bernabeu, and ended the group stage with a 3-2 victory against Union Berlin away.
In the Round of 16, “Los Blancos” faced RB Leipzig. Goalkeeper Andriy Lunin was the hero with outstanding saves in the home leg. Real Madrid won the first leg 1-0 at the Red Bull Arena, thanks to Brahim Diaz, and drew 1-1 at Santiago Bernabeu in the return leg.
The toughest opponent on the road to Wembley was former champion Manchester City. The first leg ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw. In the return leg at the Etihad, Real Madrid endured relentless attacks, defending resolutely for 120 minutes, and won the penalty shootout to advance to the semifinals.
Falling into a tough bracket, Real Madrid faced Bayern Munich, who had just defeated Arsenal in the quarter-finals. The first leg ended 2-2 in Munich, boosting Real’s confidence for the return match at the Bernabeu. In Madrid, Bayern led until the 88th minute before Joselu’s brace in extra time turned the tide for Los Blancos.
In the final against Dortmund, the La Liga champions scored two goals in the last 15 minutes of the second half, courtesy of Vinicius and Carvajal, securing their 15th European title. Real Madrid’s “Champions League DNA” once again demonstrated their formidable presence in European competitions.
Thus, the Spanish giants have won the tournament 15 times in the years: 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022, and 2024.