Real Madrid soars to new heights
Team becomes first to repeat as Champions League winners with win over Juventus
CARDIFF, Wales — Cristiano Ronaldo capped his greatest year by helping Real Madrid become the first Champions League holder to retain its title, showcasing his enduring lethal scoring qualities in a 4-1 victory over Juventus on Saturday.
In an exceptional career in which he keeps rewriting the record books, Ronaldo netted twice in Cardiff to become the first player in the 25 seasons of the Champions League era to score in three finals.
Having lifted the European Cup once with Manchester United, Ronaldo has done it three times in four seasons with Madrid.
It’s the latest piece of silverware in an incredible 12 months for the world player of the year.
It began with Ronaldo winning his first title with Portugal at the European Championship. Then came the Club World Cup with Real Madrid and the end of a five-year Spanish title drought before new highs were reached in the Champions League.
Ronaldo’s first strike at Millennium Stadium was cancelled out by Mario Mandzukic’s exquisite 27th-minute hook shot. It was the only high point for Juventus on a night when the Italian champion was outclassed in its quest for a first European title in 21 years.
Madrid’s supremacy was clear in the second half.
After Casemiro put the Spanish champions back in front in the 61st, Ronaldo turned in his 600th career goal at the near post three minutes later, and Marco Asensio wrapped up a record-extending 12th title in the 90th.
In one night, Juventus conceded more goals than it had on the journey to the final, having let in only three in the previous three games.
“In the second half Real Madrid pushed the accelerator,” Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said, “and we remained too static and sat back too long.”
Madrid’s attacking brilliance proved just too hard for Juventus to contain as Zinedine Zidane won his second Champions League title in 18 months of top-flight management.
“Zidane believes in us a lot,” Ronaldo said. “He knows that we are a very good team and that is why we proved it in the second half.”
Until now, no team since AC Milan in 1989 and 1990, when the cup was only a knockout competition, had won back-to-back titles.
Madrid had a lot to thank Keylor Navas for in the opening minutes. The goalkeeper blocked a header and strike from Gonzalo Higuain and produced a one-handed save when Miralem Pjanic picked a gap through a crowd of defenders.
One of the first things Navas’ counterpart, Gianluigi Buffon, had to do was pick the ball out of his net.
It was the culmination of a counter-attack of breathtaking speed launched by Luka Modric and Toni Kroos. Karim Benzema picked up possession and passed to Ronaldo. The world player of the year knocked the ball across to Dani Carvajal on the right flank before drifting into the penalty area to receive it back and beat Buffon. But within seven minutes, Ronaldo was shaking his head with a scowl after seeing an equalizer of individual brilliance.
Leonardo Bonucci’s deep ball was brought down by Alex Sandro, who cut it back to Higuain in the penalty area.
With his back to goal, Mandzukic received the chipped pass from Higuain and used his chest to control the ball before hooking it over his shoulder into the far top corner.
Madrid’s domination was verified after the break when the team went back in front — through Casemiro’s strike which deflected off Sami Khedira — and retained the lead.
“(Madrid) showed their class and the attitude needed to play in this kind of game,” Buffon said after losing a third final.