- Ronaldo nabs brace
- Mandzukic’s superhuman equalizer (video)
- Casemiro scores deflected winner
- Asensio adds fourth
Dynastic Real Madrid won its 12th UEFA Champions League title, a third in four years, in downing Juventus 4-1 at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, on Saturday.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice, and Casemiro’s 60th minute goal was the winner. Marco Asensio scored in stoppage time to complete the quartet of goals.
Mario Mandzukic’s overhead kick stands at Juventus’ lone goal. Juve has now lost seven of nine UCL Finals, the most of any team.
[ JPW IN WALES: Three things from Real’s big win ]
Ronaldo started the scoring when his left-footed shot off a 1-2 with Dani Carvajal completed a well-worked team goal to give Real a 20th minute lead.
But Mandzukic erased the lead and many memories of Ronaldo’s wild celebration before the half hour mark. Leonardo Bonucci played a pinpoint diagonal ball to Sandro, who cut the ball back for Gonzalo Higuain.
The striker moved the ball to Mandzukic, who chested it into range for a wonderful overhead kick that eluded the reach of Keylor Navas. 1-1.
Real picked up several yellow cards, and it was clear there was as tactical decision to tackle hard and foul often.
Early in the second half, Andrea Barzagli was beaten by Isco but made an incredible recovery and daring tackle to force a corner than Raphael Varane headed off Leonardo Bonucci.
Luka Modric tore into a shot that Buffon corralled as the clock hit 54, and Real reclaimed the advantage six minutes later. Casemiro belted a shot from distance which took a turn off a jumping Sami Khedira and eluded Buffon’s dive.
Ronaldo nabbed his second after Modric ran onto Carvajal’s ball to the end line, cutting back a shot to the near post for the Portuguese superstar to punch past Buffon.
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Sandro came close to flicking Dani Alves’ free kick inside the far post in the 82nd minute, and it felt like defeat for Juve was assured by the ball bounding wide of the woodwork.
Substitute Juan Cuadrado took his second yellow card in the 83rd minute to complete a sending off.
600 – Cristiano Ronaldo has scored his 600th goal in all competitions for club and country. Legendary. pic.twitter.com/QbHprSwhzj
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 3, 2017