History has been made and record has been broken. Since the inception of the name "UEFA Champions League" in 1992, no team has ever won the competition back to back. The record has been standing for 25 years but Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid team has broken the record which crowns them the 'Most Successful Team' in the competition winning 12 titles on that time.
It was a case of the 'Best Defense' in the tournament facing the 'Best Attack'. Juventus before this time conceeded just three goals in the tournament, those three goals coming in the group stage(1) and semi-finals (2) against Monaco and Borussia Dortmund.
Real Madrid on the other hand has scored over 30 goals since the group stage and is the team that scored more goals from the quarter Final stages until the road to the finals.
Match Report
Juventus started the brighter of the two teams at the sound of Felix Brych's whistle pressing Real Madrid who held their own in their defensive organization to neutralize the threat posed by the Juventus attackers. The only shot coming from Higuain who forced an early save from Keylor Navas. Attacks upon attacks until the threat faded off from the Juventus angle and Real Madrid gradually eased into the game forcing the Juventus team to commit numerous errors.
Real Madrid looked hungrier by the minute and the hunger paid off when Carvajal's low cross from the right hand side found the unmarked Cristiano Ronaldo in the 20th minute who slammed home a quick shot which Bonucci could do little but watch as the ball rolled into the net beating the pegged Buffon.
That was Cristiano's 11th UCL goal matching Lionel Messi on the goal scoring chart. Play resumed and Juventus looked eager to react to the one-goal deficit forcing Real Madrid into their own half, pressing from the flanks with the help of Dani Alves and Alex Sandro. Pjanic danced past two Real Madrid men and fired a low shot unto goal only to deflect off Varane into the air and fell to Dani Alves who headed into the path of Mario Mandzukic who double-chested before hitting a bicycle kick that fled past the arms of Keylor Navas into the top right-hand corner of the post in the27th minute drawing level on 1-1.
It was game on as the Juventus fans rowed in ecstasy. Little or no threat was posed by both teams before they headed down the tunnel at the sound of the half-time whistle.
The second half kicked off and it looked like Zidane's pep talk made way to the ears of the Madrid boys as they pressed on seeking for a lead with chances coming the way of Ronaldo and Modric whose shots were parried away by the ever present Buffon. The pressure keep piling up for Juventus who looked disorganized by trickery of Isco; chances paid off in the 61st minute when Marcelo's low cross into the 18-yard area was cleared by the Juventus defense only to fall nicely for Casemiro whose shot from 35-yards deflects off Khedira beating everybody including the out-stretched Buffon strolling into goal.
That was his second screamer in the |UCL|.
Things got worse for the Juve side who seem to have given up after Ronaldo scored his second on the night 3-mins later (64th) with a cheeky tap-in from the right hand side, stealing the ball of the staring Bonucci and Chellini to poke home Madrid's third. That was the final nail on the coffin as the Juventus bench waved their head in surrender. It was 3-1 and the tie was over for the Juventus team who bowed their head in shame.
Celebrations started for the Real Madrid fans who knew the trophy was going back to Madrid for a record 12th time. It was lights out for the attacking prowess of Madrid as Bale was introduced for the quiet Karim Benzema in the 77th minute.
Tempers started flaring and the game got feistier as substitute Cuardrado was served his matching-orders after involving in a slight fracas with captain Sergio Ramos in the 84th minute. His first card of the game came from a stamp on Ronaldo minutes after his introduction. Juventus were down to ten men and Zidane opted for an Isco-Asensio swap.
It paid off in the 90th minute when substitute Asensio scored a lovely header from a Toni Kroos free-kick in the 90th minute was enough for Madrid's name to be written on the trophy as the competition's most successful team defending the title.
Buffon: "Real Madrid deserved to win in the 2nd half. They showed their
class & the attitude needed to play in this kind of game"
"I didn't think it was possible to defend this title, it's difficult to win it once. To win it 3 times in 4 years means a lot" - Toni Kroos
Meanwhile in Real Madrid trophy cabinet, they have:
56
57
58
59
60
66
98
00
02
14
16
17
That's 12 UCL titles.
Tags: UCL, Juventus, Real Madrid, Cardiff, Felix Brych
Follow us on twitter @koksnationn
It was game on as the Juventus fans rowed in ecstasy. Little or no threat was posed by both teams before they headed down the tunnel at the sound of the half-time whistle.
The second half kicked off and it looked like Zidane's pep talk made way to the ears of the Madrid boys as they pressed on seeking for a lead with chances coming the way of Ronaldo and Modric whose shots were parried away by the ever present Buffon. The pressure keep piling up for Juventus who looked disorganized by trickery of Isco; chances paid off in the 61st minute when Marcelo's low cross into the 18-yard area was cleared by the Juventus defense only to fall nicely for Casemiro whose shot from 35-yards deflects off Khedira beating everybody including the out-stretched Buffon strolling into goal.
That was his second screamer in the |UCL|.
Tempers started flaring and the game got feistier as substitute Cuardrado was served his matching-orders after involving in a slight fracas with captain Sergio Ramos in the 84th minute. His first card of the game came from a stamp on Ronaldo minutes after his introduction. Juventus were down to ten men and Zidane opted for an Isco-Asensio swap.
It paid off in the 90th minute when substitute Asensio scored a lovely header from a Toni Kroos free-kick in the 90th minute was enough for Madrid's name to be written on the trophy as the competition's most successful team defending the title.
This win for Real Madrid means they set a date with Manchester United for a battle for the UEFA Super Cup sometime in August.
Juventus loosing at Cardiff means Buffon has joined the long list of players who retired without winning the most prestigious title in club football.
"I didn't think it was possible to defend this title, it's difficult to win it once. To win it 3 times in 4 years means a lot" - Toni Kroos
Meanwhile in Real Madrid trophy cabinet, they have:
56
57
58
59
60
66
98
00
02
14
16
17
That's 12 UCL titles.
Tags: UCL, Juventus, Real Madrid, Cardiff, Felix Brych
Follow us on twitter @koksnationn
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