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The three crucial mistakes that really cost Borussia Dortmund the Champions League final against Real Madrid.
Borussia Dortmund's Champions League dream came crashing down at Wembley in a dramatic final against Real Madrid.
While Real Madrid walked away with the trophy, it’s not entirely unreasonable to suggest that Borussia Dortmund lost the game more than Madrid won it.
Despite a strong performance, especially in the first half, Edin Terzic's side was undone by crucial errors. Here are the three key mistakes that cost Dortmund the match.
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11:09 - 02.06.2024
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1. Defensive Frailty at Set Pieces
Throughout the season, Dortmund's vulnerability from set pieces has been their Achilles' heel, and it reared its ugly head once again in the final. Coming into this game, five of their previous nine goals conceded had come in the aftermath of set pieces.
The most glaring example came in the 73rd minute when they allowed a cheap corner. This was not an isolated incident, as earlier in the game, Real Madrid’s Dani Carvajal, standing at just 5ft 8in, had already come close by sneaking across the near post on a Kroos corner.
Despite the warning, Dortmund did not learn their lesson. When Kroos delivered a similar corner later, Carvajal made the same run and this time managed to flick the ball home. This lapse in concentration was pivotal and shifted the momentum firmly in Real Madrid’s favor.
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2. Overly Drastic Tactical Changes
In response to the first goal, Terzic knew changes were necessary but may have gone too far. Having already introduced Marco Reus for his final Dortmund appearance, he then brought on both Sebastien Haller and Donyell Malen, adding more attackers and emptying the midfield. This gamble led to a loss of structure and left the team exposed.
This drastic shift destabilized Dortmund's formation, leading to the second and decisive mistake. It highlighted the fine balance needed in high-stakes matches between making necessary adjustments and maintaining team cohesion.
3. Costly Individual Errors
The final nail in Dortmund's coffin was a familiar, yet catastrophic individual mistake. In previous matches, such as their 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the quarter-final first leg, left-back Ian Maatsen had shown a tendency to make under-hit or blind passes.
This time, Maatsen played a blind pass across his defense straight to Jude Bellingham, who quickly fed Vinicius Jr. The Brazilian made no mistake, putting Real Madrid 2-0 up and effectively ending Dortmund's hopes.
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Bottomline
These errors are a microcosm of Dortmund's season – flashes of brilliance undermined by moments of recklessness. Despite their excellent performance in reaching the final, these lapses proved fatal against a clinical Real Madrid side that, true to form, capitalized on every mistake.
The instinctive reaction to this result is to attribute it to Real Madrid's classic resilience, playing below par yet still clinching the Champions League final.
However, Dortmund’s fans will know this defeat was particularly painful due to the avoidable nature of the goals conceded. They missed significant chances and twice allowed one of the smallest players on the pitch to score from corners.
Furthermore, the crucial individual error that gifted Madrid their second goal was emblematic of a season where Dortmund were often their own worst enemies.
In the end, while Real Madrid’s experience and composure in finals were undeniable, it was Borussia Dortmund's mistakes that ultimately determined the outcome. This defeat will sting for a long time, as the players and fans are left wondering what could have been had they not fallen short in these critical moments.
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