When you hear “Mr. Champions League,” one name comes to mind - Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese legend is the top scorer in the tournament with 140 goals in 183 games and has won the Golden Boot 7 times. During his time in Europe, he had the best odds to finish as top scorer every season while his teams were equally favoured to win the tournament. As members of our online betting community can testify, this was always worth the gamble. Cristiano Ronaldo won the Champions League on five occasions, once with Manchester United and four times with Real Madrid. These achievements significantly contributed to his 5 Ballon d’Or awards, cementing his status as one of the greatest players ever. However, after Real Madrid's victory over Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, I wondered if the title “Mr. Champions League” should go to Carlo Ancelotti or Florentino Pérez instead.
We had seen Real Madrid win the Champions League on multiple occasions - 14 times to be precise. But Saturday’s victory felt different. It had an air of inevitability about it. In past finals, their opponents had a fighting chance. Both finals against Atlético Madrid (in 2014 and 2016) went into extra time, while Juventus (2017) and Liverpool (2018) put up strong fights, even if the final scores didn't show it. Their second final against Liverpool two seasons ago was a close match, with Vinícius Jr. scoring the only goal. But against Dortmund, it felt like we all knew the German side was going to lose. It wasn’t a straightforward game for Real Madrid, though. By half-time, Dortmund had an xG of 1.82 compared to Real Madrid’s 0.08. That 1.82 xG was the highest any team had managed at half-time in a Champions League final over the last 5 seasons. But Dortmund couldn’t capitalize on their opportunities. Karim Adeyemi was a constant threat but just couldn’t finish off his team’s well-executed plays. The 22-year-old German's speed was a handful for Dani Carvajal, and their age difference was telling. Midway through the first half, Adeyemi missed a one-on-one that could have put Dortmund in the lead, and that miss is likely to haunt him all summer. Niclas Füllkrug also had a chance to put Dortmund ahead but hit the woodwork and missed another big opportunity.
As someone cleverly put it, “Real Madrid aren’t stingy – they’ll give you plenty of chances to hurt them, but if you don’t take advantage, they’ll finish you off.” Real Madrid’s choice to start Thibaut Courtois over Andriy Lunin paid off. The Belgian goalie made four saves and delivered another stellar Champions League final performance, adding to his heroics from two seasons ago against Liverpool. In his two finals with Real Madrid, he’s faced 12 shots, made 12 saves, faced an xG of 3.4, and hasn’t conceded a single goal. He may not have gotten the official award but he was the best player on the pitch in my eyes. Around the hour mark, Real Madrid turned the game around. They finally responded to the pressure they’d been absorbing all match, and it paid off. With Karim Adeyemi going off for Marco Reus, Madrid had less pace to worry about and their fullbacks could be more adventurous going forward. This pressure led to a corner and, in what was his final club game, Toni Kroos delivered a cross into the box which was met by Dani Carvajal, one of the shortest players on the pitch. Advantage Real Madrid. Dortmund pushed for an equalizer, but it was Vinícius Jr. who scored next. One of our [Bet Builder betting tips](https://m.betking.com/blog/betting-tips/champions-league-final-betting-tips-borussia-dortmund-vs-real-madrid/) was “Real Madrid to win and Vinícius Jr. to score,” and the Brazilian helped deliver this. In what was his second career Champions League final, Vinícius Jr. made it 2 goals in 2 finals with a well-placed left-footed shot after an error by Dortmund’s Ian Maatsen. With that goal, many believe Vinícius Jr. is now the clear favourite to win the Ballon d’Or later this year. Having scored 24 goals and provided 11 assists in 39 games for Real Madrid this season, he heads to the Copa América full of confidence, where winning with Brazil could seal the deal for him.
Now, let's talk about Carlo Ancelotti and Florentino Pérez, the masterminds behind Real Madrid’s 15th Champions League title. For Ancelotti, this is his 7th Champions League/European title – he won it twice as a player with Milan, twice as a coach with Milan, and three times with Real Madrid. His five tournament titles are the most by any head coach, and his three with Real Madrid tie him with Bob Paisley (Liverpool) and Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid) for the most by any manager with one team. Ancelotti’s knack for keeping things simple in an era of overly complicated tactics sets him apart and is a lesson to many. Having lost just one of his 51 LaLiga and Champions League games, this double win holds a special place in his heart. As for Florentino Pérez, the architect of modern Real Madrid, this title solidifies his legacy. Saturday’s victory marked his 7th Champions League title as the club’s president, surpassing the legendary Santiago Bernabéu in bringing silverware to the club. Just minutes after the final whistle, he looked dead into the camera and said, “We are now focused on Number 16.” It may have been a bit dramatic of him, but those weren’t empty words. With the official announcement of Kylian Mbappé’s signing just days later, it's clear he's serious. The Champions League is one title that has evaded Mbappé in his young career, and he’ll be hungry to continue the legacy of Los Blancos. Having scored 44 goals and provided 10 assists for PSG in 48 games this season, Mbappé heads to Euros with the intention of helping France get their hands on the title for the first time since 2000 before getting unveiled at Madrid.
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