Cristiano leads way with double as Madrid slay Juve to retain trophy

He’s never been shy about stealing the limelight.

And Cristiano Ronaldo was at it again last night in Cardiff as his two goals won Real Madrid their 12th European Cup.

All the talk had been about Gareth Bale possibly hogging the headlines on his return to Wales.

But we really should have known better. Because there’s no-one quite like Ronaldo when it comes to show-stopping performances.

He became the first player in recent history to score in three Champions League Finals.

Madrid great Alfredo Di Stefano netted in five European Cup deciders – but Ron could now equal that record as well in the next few years.

He’s got the most goals and assists in this year’s tournament and, at 32, shows no sign of letting up.

The Portuguese star opened the scoring against the Italians with a deft finish from a Dani Carvajal pass.

But Zidane’s team were pulled back by Mar io Mandzukic’s incredible overhead kick.

Real midfielder Casemiro put the Spaniards back in front before Ronaldo finished Juve off from Luka Modric’s cross.

Marco Asensio made it 4-1 late on after Max Allegri’s side were down to 10 men – but it was Ronaldo who did the damage.

And in the end, Bale was a bit-part player in what was a cracking game of football.

Both sides were brimming with quality – so much so that Real denied Bale his homecoming to remember and left him on the bench.

You would expect a Champions League Final to generate a terrific atmosphere but this was something special.

It might have been because we had two genuine European powerhouses ready to go at it.

Or the fact there was so many world-class players on show.

Or perhaps it was all down to the roof being closed at the Principality Stadium. Whatever it was, the noise inside was deafening even before a ball had been kicked.

Even the pre-match turn Black Eyed Peas told it was going to be a good night. It was up to the players to deliver and Gonzalo Higuain set the tone with a 25-yard rasper that stung the palms of Real No.1 Keylor Navas.

And the Costa Rican keeper had to look even more lively when Miralem Pjanic had a pop, diving down brilliantly to save.

Juve had set their stall out early, getting in the faces of Madrid and pressing high. German ref Felix Brych was also helping the tempo by allowing the game to flow – and it was being played at some pace.

Despite initial Italian pressure, it was Ronaldo who inevitably opened the scoring. He got free on the right