Ronaldo rescues Madrid after Juventus scare
CRISTIANO RONALDO converted an injury-time penalty to prevent Juventus from pulling off another stunning comeback in the quarter-finals of the Champions League as Real Madrid advanced despite a 3-1 home loss yesterday.
The goal was enough to clinch a 4-3 aggregate win for Madrid, the two-time defending champions. A day after seeing Spanish rivals Barcelona blow a three-goal advantage against Roma in Italy, Madrid nearly did the same. But Juventus’ heroics came up just short after substitute Lucas Vazquez was judged to have been pushed from behind inside the area deep into stoppage time.
BUFFON RED-CARDED
Veteran Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, in what was likely his last Champions League game, was then sent off for complaining after the penalty decision.
Madrid won the first leg 3-0 in Turin last week, when Ronaldo scored with a spectacular bicycle kick for his second goal of the match.
Juventus got off to the perfect start yesterday when Mario Mandzukic opened the scoring with a header two minutes into the match at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. He added to the lead with another header before half-time, and Blaise Matuidi scored the third early in the second half after a blunder by Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas.
But Ronaldo, in his 150th Champions League appearance, then netted his 120th goal in the competition by converting the penalty with a firm shot into the top corner. He celebrated by taking off his shirt and running toward the euphoric Madrid crowd.