Top moments of the Champions League season: Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior deliver

Real Madrid’s 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in Saturday’s final capped an unforgettable UEFA Champions League season, filled with dramatic moments and emerging talent at every stage of the competition.

The champions’ dominance in Europe may come as no surprise, but the squad refresh and adoption of new football stars such as Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham have reflected the emergence of a new generation of players that includes the likes of Kylian Mbappe, who could be on his way to join them, and Erling Haaland. They often emerged as the best of the best regardless of the occasion, but the excitement around them was accompanied by a hyper-competitiveness that led to some memorable matches.

From Bayern Munich’s 4-3 victory over Manchester United in the first round to a series of quarter-final matches that included several comebacks, several games have reached the final minutes. The Champions League turned out to provide a huge number of exciting clashes that will hopefully be followed by an even more entertaining season in a few months’ time.

As Real Madrid takes its final victory lap, here’s a look back at the season’s most memorable events.

Provedel makes history

The group stage began with one of the most unexpected goals in the tournament’s recent history: a last-gasp equalizer. Lazio’s Ivan Provedel became only the second goalkeeper to score from open play in the Champions League, taking a corner and flicking the ball in the right direction with his head after Luis Alberto’s deft cross into the box. His goal ensured that the game with Atlético de Madrid ended 1-1, helping the team to finish second in the group.

Bayern Munich 4, Manchester United 3

There have been several chaotically entertaining games during this season, but the first of many came courtesy of Bayern Munich and Manchester United. The teams exchanged seven goals in a must-win game, with two of those goals coming from errors made by United goalkeeper Andre Onana. He later apologized for these mistakes, but it was just the first sign of the disarray that the Red Devils would exemplify throughout the season.

An honorable mention must go to United’s other They lost 4-3 before securing last place in Group A, which took place in Copenhagen. The added drama of that match came from Marcus Rashford’s 42nd-minute red card, but Erik ten Hag’s side still squandered the opportunity to come away from that game with a point by conceding two late goals. It wasn’t just an unforgettable season for United – it was also a season that raised serious questions about the direction of their never-ending rebuild, which began 11 years ago with the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson.

Bellingham Star Is Born

Jude Bellingham was easily the star of the season, scoring three goals and four assists in his first season in the Champions League with Real Madrid. The 20-year-old wasted no time lighting up Europe by scoring the only goal in the team’s opener against Union Berlin, but began to show he was the real deal with a goal and an assist in the 3-2 win over Napoli. on the 2nd round.

His form never deteriorated, even when he moved into a deeper position on the field, ending this season as one of the best players in the world. Bellingham exemplified a season that was essentially a changing of the guard at the elite levels of the game, with a number of younger players filling the gaps left by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The Englishman undoubtedly led the pack, but as long as players like Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe and others continue the good work, the sport will be in very good hands.

PSG’s return to Barcelona

This tie was difficult to predict at the start due to the uncertainty surrounding both teams, with the imminent departures of Xavi and Kylian Mbappe from Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain respectively, but the former emerged victorious in the first leg with a 3- 2 wins. They looked to be on course for the semi-finals after Raphina gave them a 1-0 lead just 12 minutes into the second leg in Barcelona, ​​but Ronald Araujo’s red card after half an hour led to the final collapse. PSG scored four unanswered goals to win the draw 6-4, securing a place in the final four in the process.

Although Mbappé scored twice in the second leg, the story of PSG’s victory was that they didn’t trust the star to get there. Former Barcelona player Ousmane Dembele scored two goals in the tie, as did Vitinha, while younger talents such as Warren Zaire-Emery and Bradley Barcola are beginning to emerge as starters for the team. The result inspires confidence that PSG has the foundations to survive without Mbappe, who has officially ended his seven-year spell in the French capital.

Real Madrid 3, Manchester City 3

The round of 16 came and went with little to discuss, but the quarter-finals started in fine fashion, with a high-profile clash that did not disappoint. The first leg of the tie between Real Madrid and Manchester City was one of the most memorable games in recent Champions League history, with the action starting just two minutes after Bernardo Silva’s goal. Real Madrid were 2-1 up after 14 minutes thanks to a Ruben Dias own goal and a Rodrygo strike, while three second-half goals kept the excitement level high. Several goals in the match are candidates for the best of the season, but Josko Gvardiol’s goal in the 71st minute could be the best of all.

They were preparing for a second leg that may have had fewer goals, but was full of intrigue. The teams drew 1-1 at the Etihad Stadium and Real Madrid won the subsequent penalty shootout as the series began to show both sides of the Spanish champions – try an all-out attacking style first and if that doesn’t work, absorb the pressure from the opponent until the moment of goal arrives. For Real Madrid, it almost always happens.

Dortmund comeback against Atleti

In another dramatic quarter-final tie, Borussia Dortmund began to show their value in the victory over Atlético de Madrid. The German team didn’t make life easy, losing 2-0 at the start of the first leg, after some defensive errors. Sebastien Haller’s goal at the end of the first leg was the perfect basis for Dortmund to come from behind at home, which they did in dramatic fashion. They scored two early goals in the second leg, only conceded twice, but responded again with another pair of goals soon after Atleti felt they had created a lead.

This was an impressive moment in Dortmund’s run to the final, but it is far from the only one in which they achieved success at the highest levels of the game. They topped a group with PSG, AC Milan and Newcastle en route to Wembley Stadium, and then beat PSG again in the semi-finals to contest their first final in 11 years. The Cinderella run was full of surprising moments, few as entertaining as the quarterfinal upset.

Masterclass by Toni Kroos in Munich

In one of his last matches in the Champions League, Toni Kroos was featured in Real Madrid’s 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich, in the first leg of the semi-finals. The 34-year-old, who will retire after competing with Germany at the Euros this summer, didn’t miss a beat, even as Bayern dominated the early stages of the match and carefully looked after the game’s first goal with a stellar pass to Vinicius Junior in Real Madrid’s first move of the game. He had a near-perfect game in midfield, completing all but three of his 82 passes in the center of the field.

This game was a reminder of Kroos’ status as one of the greatest midfielders of his generation, whose form did not deteriorate even as he neared retirement. He provided one last reminder in the Champions League final, assisting with the game’s opening goal when Dani Carvajal scored in the 74th minute.

Vinícius Júnior leads

Real Madrid’s patience strategy paid off once again in London, with two late goals securing their 15th Champions League title on Saturday. While Carvajal scored the first, Vinicius Junior’s goal nine minutes later sealed the deal for the kings of Europe. It was the second time the Brazilian international had scored in the final, netting the only goal of the game in 2022 and earning his first Champions League winners’ medal.

It’s difficult to single out just one person in a star-studded team like Real Madrid, but if there’s any player worth mentioning, it might be Vinicius Junior. He ended the season with six Champions League goals, finding a way to overcome his team’s best and worst days and developing the one crucial trait in a goalscorer: reliability. This includes the ability to showcase his talents in the biggest games, demonstrating all the qualities of a player Thierry Henry described as the greatest in the world. At just 23 years old, he will be instrumental in Real Madrid’s aim to extend their dominance for a few more years – and that’s with or without Mbappe, who will certainly become his teammate within a few weeks.