Half an hour before the game, Borussia Dortmund’s yellow wall moved like a tectonic plate while the white amphitheater remained at rest, as if it already knew the outcome. Jude Bellingham was looking for contact with his teammates, although Toni Kroos wasn’t up for many pats. A soft hug and something else. The last image of the German midfielder before beginning his final night as a target was alone, in the center of the field, without raising an eyebrow when his teammates ran around, looked at the stands to greet their families, drank water and applied ointments to their skin. the chest.
0
Gregor Kobel, Julian Ryerson, Ian Maatsen, Hummels, Nico Schlotterbeck, M. Sabitzer, Emre Can (Malen, min. 80), Brandt (Sébastian Haller, min. 80), Jadon Sancho (Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, min. 86) , Karim Adeyemi (Marco Reus, min. 72) and Füllkrug
2
Courtois, Nacho, Dani Carvajal, Rüdiger, Ferland Mendy, Federico Valverde, Kroos (Modric, min. 85), Jude Bellingham (Joselu, min. 85), Camavinga, Vinicius Junior (Lucas Vázquez, min. 93) and Rodrygo (Eder Military, min. 90)
Goals 0-1 min. 73: Dani Carvajal. 0-2 min. 82: Vinicius Junior.
Referee Slavko Vincic
Yellow cards Vinicius Junior (min. 34), Nico Schlotterbeck (min. 40), M. Sabitzer (min. 43) and Hummels (min. 78)
After saying goodbye to Madrid (he will do so in football at the Eurocup) with his sixth European Cup, Toni Kroos repeated again, more right than ever, that “the idea was to leave like this.” “There is no better way. I’m going to miss winning. But I want to make another life. Although I will miss the moments with my teammates and the game. But I wanted to leave like that,” insisted the German, acclaimed when he was substituted in the 85th minute and during the celebrations. “I have really enjoyed the last week, there has been a spectacular atmosphere. But I also had to focus on the final. The first half didn’t go well, but it doesn’t matter, this team always keeps going and we have to score goals against us,” he warned.
Ancelotti, with his fifth European Cup as a coach, two more than the next on the list (Bob Paisley and Zinedine Zidane), admitted the evidence: “They have played better [en la primera parte] and they have left us alive. At half-time we talked about changing the system to a 4-3-3 because we were poorly positioned, without balance and losing balls,” he commented.
“We suffered in the first half. They did very well on the counterattack,” said Fede Valverde. “In the second, he was a little crazy with so many formation and position changes… But he has given us stability,” said the Uruguayan, who did not forget Kroos’ farewell. “We will miss him very much. He has left his mark and legend. As young people we have tried to learn from them. Thank you for the competitiveness that you have taught us and that makes us grow. The greatest ones give the values of the club, the hunger to win. Surely at the celebration they will tell us to go for next year’s title,” he added.
“We offered Kroos to continue, but he has in mind to retire at the top of his level. You know what the Germans are like. He has done what he wanted and a player who will always be a legend is leaving,” said Florentino Pérez about the German’s departure.
Before de Carvajal emerged at the near post, it was Thibaut Courtois. The Belgian kept up a strong push from all sides, with the whites unable to subside the yellow flood. “In the first half we were not closing well and we were not paying attention to what the coach was saying. But with the 4-3-3 in the second half we were able to win,” analyzed the goalkeeper, who made two important interventions in the first act. The debate over who would be hit didn’t last long. Ancelotti soon became clear that he would be chosen for the London final, despite the fact that he had been in the infirmary all year due to a torn cruciate and then meniscus. He had not played a game with anything at stake until the trip to Wembley.
“The coach knows what he has with me. Lunin has also had a great year and we must thank him. I think the coach knew that he was fine, he has a lot of confidence in me and I’m happy. I also looked at a very good level in training and in games. It has been a very long, very difficult year, but with a lot of support from the locker room, coaching staff and fans. But I don’t complain about ending it with a clean sheet…” said the Belgian, who fell to the ground as soon as the final whistle was blown.
The night on the grass ended with a very varied soundtrack: It could be my big nightby Raphael; Hey Jude, by the Beatles; and Long live Spain, by Manolo Escobar. Meanwhile, the stands asked Nacho to stay.
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