Magical CR7 makes history
Juventus Real Madrid 0 3
Cristiano Ronaldo snared another slice of history by becoming the first player to score in 10 successive Champions League games with his early opener against Juventus yesterday.
Real Madrid's star marksman poked home Isco's low cross in just the third minute of the quarterfinal clash – at two minutes and 47 seconds it was the quickest of his 118 in the Champions League – to become the first player to extend a scoring streak into double figures.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a stunning overhead kick for his second goal of the night to help Real Madrid beat 10-man Juventus 3-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal yesterday.
The Portugal international also set up Madrid's third, for Marcelo, shortly after Juventus forward Paulo Dybala had been sent off following a second yellow card.
The Italian side now has a nearimpossible task to turn the quarterfinal around against the two-time defending champions in the return leg on April 11.
In Turin, Juventus was out for revenge after losing the final 4-1 to Madrid last year. But Ronaldo once again came out on top.
The Portuguese forward has scored in every Champions League match this season and it took him less than three minutes to continue that tradition, thanks in part to a series of uncharacteristic defensive mistakes from Juventus.
Isco was left in acres of space on the left flank and he crossed in for an unmarked Ronaldo to poke the ball into the right side of the net.
Juventus responded well and could have leveled immediately but Sergio Ramos put in a perfectlytimed tackle just as Paulo Dybala was about to unleash a shot.
Ramos was on hand again in the 13th minute to head Rodrigo Bentacur's effort away near the goalline.
Juventus — and most of the stadium — thought it had equalized midway through the half but Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas pulled off a stunning save to deny Gonzalo Higuain after Dybala whipped in a free kick from the left.
Both sides continued to have chances after the break. Ronaldo's angled drive flashed just past the left post, while Dybala's free kick was deflected narrowly over the bar with Navas wrong-footed.
Ramos was booked for the challenge that led to that free kick and will be suspended for the second leg.
The match changed shortly after the hour mark.
Gianluigi Buffon pulled off a fantastic save to deny Lucas Vazquez but the move continued and Ronaldo leaped acrobatically into the air with his back to goal and smashed the ball into the bottom right corner.
The goal was so good that even the Juventus fans rose to applaud — having jeered his every touch previously.
They were still on their feet moments later when Dybala was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Dani Carvajal.
Ronaldo turned provider in the 73rd minute as he played a one-two with Marcelo before the Brazil defender lifted the ball over Buffon and bundled it into the back of the net.
It could have been worse for Juventus as Ronaldo missed several chances to complete his hat trick, while Mateo Kovacic hit the bar late on.
UEFA
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