Brilliant Madrid crush Juve to retain UCL trophy

Spanish giants Real Madrid were incredible at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff as they retain the trophy they won last season after thrashing Italian side Juventus 4-1 in the Champions League final on Saturday night.

Despite conceding just three goals throughout the competition this season prior to tonight, Juve’s normally watertight defence just couldn’t handle the quality of Real’s attack.

It was Cristiano Ronaldo who put Real ahead with a first-time finish from 16 yards exactly 20 minutes into the game, before Mario Mandzukic equalised from just inside the area with a sensational overhead kick 7 minutes later.

In the second half, midfielder Casemiro had a shot deflected to restore the lead before Ronaldo made it 3-1 on 84 minutes and Marco Asensio finished it off in 90 minutes, after Juve’s substitute Juan Cuadrado was red-carded.

Ronaldo’s second goal in the game – a cross from Luka Modric which he finished superbly from a tight angle – was the 600th goal of his career. The former Manchester United player has now lifted four Champions League trophies.

Read Also: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Juve vs Madrid – the route to the final

The win also means Real coach Zinedine Zidane becomes the first manager to win the famous trophy twice in the first two seasons of his senior management career as Dettmar Cramer did with Bayern Munich in 1974/75 and 1975/76.

“Zidane gave us a very positive half-time team talk and told us he really believed in us,” Ronaldo said in a post-match interview.

“It has been an incredible end to the season by us. We are the first team to win it two years in a row and I scored two goals.

“It’s another record for us and the players deserve it and so do I because I scored twice and I’m the top scorer in the Champions League.

“I prepared myself for this, you win the biggest prizes because of what you do at the end of the season.”

Real Madrid have now become the first team since AC Milan back in 1989 and 1990 to win this tournament two seasons running, and it’s a record 12th European Cup win.

 

 

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