Real Madrid made history again yesterday by winning their 15th Champions League after beating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in a vibrant final. With this new title, the white club consolidates its dominance in the top European competition, where it has an unsurpassed record of finals played and won.
However, not everything has been glory in Real Madrid’s European history. Despite their stellar record, the white team has also suffered defeat in some continental finals. In this article, we review the three European Cup finals that Real Madrid lost on their way to legend.
1962: Benfica 5 – Real Madrid 3
The 1962 final at the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam ended with a painful defeat for Real Madrid against Portuguese side Benfica. The white team, which reached the final after eliminating Juventus and Standard Liege, was surpassed by an overwhelming Benfica who won by a resounding 5-3.
1964: Inter Milan 3 – Real Madrid 1
Two years later, in 1964, Real Madrid faced Inter Milan again in the European Cup final. This time, the setting was the Prater stadium in Vienna, and the result was even more adverse for the whites. Inter, led by the legendary Luis Suárez, won 3-1, winning their second consecutive European Cup.
1981: Liverpool 1 – Real Madrid 0
The last European Cup final that Real Madrid lost was in 1981, at the Parc des Princes in Paris. The rival, the English Liverpool, which reached the final after eliminating Bayern Munich and Videoton, won with a solitary goal from Alan Kennedy, winning the title.
A bump on the road to glory
These three defeats in the European Cup final were a blip on Real Madrid’s road to glory. However, the white club was able to recover and since then has begun an era of dominance in the top European competition, winning nine consecutive Champions League finals between 1998 and 2024.
It should be noted that the European Cup finals are not the only ones that Real Madrid has lost in European competitions. The white team has also suffered defeats in the Intercontinental Cup (2), European Super Cup (3) and European Cup Winners’ Cup (2).
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