Ronaldo never lets you down: Zidane
LASTGASP WINNER Manager hails star forward for his rescue act after goals from Mandzukic and Matuidi had wiped out Real’s 30 advantage
MADRID: Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo added further sheen to an already glistening reputation by staying ice cool to thrash home a decisive 98th-minute penalty in Wednesday’s enthralling Champions League quarterfinal second leg with Juventus.
The Portuguese has been at his devastating best in the competition this season to silence his doubters after a poor start to the domestic campaign and there was an air of inevitability that he would have the final say at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Ronaldo had struck one of the greatest goals in the competition’s history in the first leg as Real opened an apparently healthy 3-0 lead in the tie only to see that advantage wiped out in remarkable circumstances on Wednesday. Two goals from Juventus’s Mario Mandzukic and one from Blaise Matuidi took the tie to the verge of extra time.
Ronaldo, however, had other ideas. The Portuguese had scored in his previous nine games in the competition this season and had been thwarted several times by Juve keeper Gianluigi Buffon but kept looking for the crucial goal.
He helped force the last-gasp penalty by heading the ball towards Lucas Vazquez, who was felled by Medhi Benatia, and was then made to wait an age before taking the spot kick as the Juventus protests led to Buffon receiving his marching orders.
“My pulse was racing but I stayed calm, I knew it was decisive,” Ronaldo told reporters after firing Real to the semifinals for an eighth consecutive year and keeping them on track to win the trophy for a third straight season. “We suffered and this has to serve as a lesson for us that in football you can’t take anything for granted, you have to keep fighting until the end,” he added.
His coach Zinedine Zidane had his attacking talisman to thank for avoiding an exit that would have ensured Real ended the season with no major silverware.
“Cristiano never lets you down,” Zidane said of the all-time top scorer in the Champions League who has hit 15 goals in this season’s European campaign. “He is used to doing this. He picks up the ball, he scores,
that the defending champions have found themselves on the mat in the Champions League before recovering to cross the finishing line.
to PSG in the first-leg, edged past
Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in the group stages, and conceded four goals against Tottenham Hotspur while scoring two.
in their kitty and just one to draw level, the Italian giants had been dishing out an attacking brand of football that Madrid’s defence, which was without Sergio Ramos for the night, found difficult to handle.
once they levelled, Juventus sat back and took their foot off the pedal in trying to run down the clock. It handed Madrid the momentum and allowed them to put pressure on the Juve defence. successive times Real Madrid have made it to the Champions League semifinals. goals Ronaldo has scored against Juventus which is a Champions League record for most goals scored against a single club.
and goes home.”
Juve captain Buffon was sent off for pushing referee Michael Oliver as he furiously protested the penalty, but Ronaldo had no doubt that it was the correct decision. “I don’t understand why they protested,” Ronaldo said. “Lucas was caught from behind, if it’s not a penalty it’s a goal.”
With Barcelona dramatically exiting the competition to AS Roma on Tuesday, after surrendering a three-goal advantage from the first leg, there was a real possibility Madrid would suffer the same fate. Madrid left back Marcelo, however, said his side were made of sterner stuff. “What
scoring in his 11th successive Champions League game, it underlines what he means to the side.
the penalty but was also instrumental in its build-up. It was his cross that Lucas Vazquez had tried to control when it was adjudged that he was pushed by Mehedi Benatia.
be back for the latter stages but the way Real conceded the goals, all from crosses from the right wing, simply shows that there needs to be work done at the back. games in a row Ronaldo has scored in the Champions League.
happened to Barca was never going to happen to us, we’re Real Madrid,” said the Brazilian.
“The champions survive the resistance,” proclaimed Spanish newspaper Marca, also repeating late Real midfielder Juanito’s famous line: “93 minutes at the Santiago Bernabeu is a very long time”. Daily AS declared on its front page that Madrid went “from panic to the semifinals”.
“Juventus climbed towards their impossible dream and for half an hour walked over a confused, dazed and cowardly Madrid,” said their report.
“But Madrid came back. Madrid always come back.” Ronaldo 90+8-p Mandzukic 2, 37 Matuidi 61