LONDON (AP) — Borussia Dortmund just can’t close the deal.
The scrappy German team missed a slew of big chances against Real Madrid in the Champions League final before losing 2-0 at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
The loss comes a year after Dortmund failed to clinch the Bundesliga title on the last day of the season, and 11 years after losing to Bayern Munich 2-1 the last time they reached the Champions League title game, also at Wembley.
In 2013, Dortmund coach Edin Terzić was in the stands as a fan of the black-and-yellow.
Last year, Terzić had tears in his eyes after Dortmund missed the chance to win the Bundesliga when it was held by Mainz to 2-2.
On Saturday night, more heartbreak.
Karim Adeyemi was in alone on goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois in the 21st minute with Dortmund’s yellow-clad, flag-waving fans poised to erupt.
But the winger pushed the ball too far to his left as the 6-foot-6 Courtois used all of his length to get down and reach for the ball at the top of the area. Adeyemi got a left-footed shot off, but Dani Carvajal was there to block it.
Two minutes later, Niclas Füllkrug poked a shot past Courtois but it bounced off the right post and across the goalmouth.
Dortmund had another chance just before the half-hour mark when Adeyema’s shot was saved by Courtois. Füllkrug wasn’t able to get a clean header on the rebound.
Marcel Sabitzer forced another save from Courtois in the 41st.
Carvajal’s header broke the deadlock in the 74th and Vinicius Junior sealed it seven minutes from time.
Füllkrug had another good chance in the 63rd but his header was straight at Courtois, who punched it away.
The Germany forward finally did put the ball in the net with a bullet header but he was well offside and the score remained 2-0.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Ken Maguire, The Associated Press
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