Real Madrid were outplayed for much of their 18th Champions League final but it ended in a familiar story – Los Blancos lifting the trophy for a record 15th time after a 2-0 win over Dortmund.

The German side squandered several big chances in the first half against a listless Madrid team for whom English star Jude Bellingham was the subject of internet memes due to his lack of involvement.

But after Karim Adeyemi, and Niclas Fullkrug, who hit the post, failed to covert before half time, Real got a grip on the game.

They went ahead on 74 minutes when Dani Carvajal, who had two previous sights at goal, beat his defender to head in a Toni Kroos corner. It was a beautiful way for Kroos to finish his distinguished career.

The seal was put on the result by Brazilian superstar Vinicius Junior, who might count himself lucky to have still been on the pitch, on 82 minutes after an error by Ian Maatsen.

“Dortmund can have a couple of chances, but there’s a difference in level of players that you’re talking about here,” said former Socceroo Craig Foster on the Stan Sport coverage.

“We were surprised at Fullkrug scoring against PSG, right? Whereas these [Madrid] guys here, once they get themselves in positions, you know, you are dead.

“Did anyone in the world think that Vini Jr. wasn’t going to score that? Okay, it’s already 1-0, but that’s the difference.”

Vini Junior was booked in the first half and then dived to win a card against the Germans, but the potential second yellow card was missed by the referee.

It was a fourth European Cup for Madrid’s coach Carlo Ancelotti and his team did it the hard way, being fortunate to progress against Manchester City via penalties and then with two late goals against Bayern Munich in the semi.

They were outplayed for an hour on Sunday morning (AEST) but weathered the storm of 12 Dortmund attempts. They were much improved in the second half of the second term and the weight of pressure told.

The human wall

Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Cortois came in for only his fifth match of an injury-hit season, and his first in the Champions League.

The former Chelsea keeper was outstanding.

“You do not get anything major without an exceptional goalkeeper,” said former Socceroo goalkeeper Mark Bosnich on Stan.

“Thibaut Courtois, I said at the start of the game, this is only his fifth game he’s started all season, first in the Champions League. Will that make a difference?

“Even though I meant, would it make a difference the other way, it did make a difference.

“After two seasons ago, doing it against Liverpool, he was, again, a human wall. Absolutely outstanding.”

‘The great coach in history’

Ancelotti was cool as ever as Madrid struggled to get in the game, but ultimately led his side to glory again.

“Ancelotti, the question is always whether he is the greatest coach in history. And I think you have to say now, well, he has to be,” said Foster.

“He’s the coach who’s won the championship in all the top five big European leagues, and here he is with his fifth European title.

“Whether it’s in league championships or it’s in cup football, he’s done both. And he’s done both across all of the different languages, across all the different football styles, and he has solved every problem in the finals with this team that they’ve been faced with. And he’s learned to be flexible.”

That flexibility will come into play again next season when Madrid add France’s brilliant Kylian Mbappe to the mix.

‘Mentality monsters’

The Spanish giants victory seemed assured as soon as the first goal went in.

“Real Madrid are the mentality monsters,” said former Premier League striker Chris Sutton on the BBC. “They were hardly in it in the first half, hung on in the second until Dani Carvajal’s header from the corner. From that moment on they were in control. Vinicius Jr added the second goal and then they just saw the game out.

“It is about finding a way to win. So much belief and confidence within this squad. They have done it before and they keep doing it. Another triumphant evening.”

Foster added: “Once they started to get control of the game in the second half everyone could sense hang on this is a different game now.

“All of a sudden they’re winning the ball back, they’re going forward, Vini Junior’s in the game, then the atmosphere from the Madrid faithful.

“When that first goal went in, the beauty of being a Real Madrid fan is that when they scored the first goal, they knew they’d won. And actually the players knew they’d won. 

“That is the level of confidence and quality and experience and mentality that this group has.

“When that goal went in, everyone in the stadium knew that the game was over.

“Ancelotti made the changes, they were clapping their own fans at 1-0, right? You don’t see that in professional sport because people are told don’t do it, you can’t do that. 

“This group, they don’t care, they’ve been here so many times before. ‘We’re 1-0 up, we can feel we’ve got the game now, we’ve dealt with what we had to, we’ve got them, they know it, we know it, and our crowd know it, and this game is over’.”

Bellingham, who moved from Birmingham to Dortmund and now has a treble with real Madrid in his first season, was well below his best on his return to English soil at Wembley.

Not that he let that dampen his celebrations.

“I have always dreamed of playing in these games,” he said. “You go through life and there are so many people who say you cannot do things. I was alright until I was in my mum and dad’s face.

“My little brother is there and I’m trying to be a role model for him. I cannot put it into words. The best night of my life.”