Ronaldo does trick in one-man magic show
JUVE’S £99m WIZARD SHATTERS SIMEONE AGAIN
THIS was Operation Cristiano Ronaldo in all its glory. Juventus had been blunted in pursuit of the Champions League, a trophy they have not won since 1996, and stopped at nothing to get a man who is rarely without it.
he was confident ever since the final whistle blew in Madrid. A two-goal deficit was not insurmountable. Marcus Rashford and Manchester United proved that.
Spanish media was flooded yesterday morning with stories of Ronaldo’s assurances to friends and family. he was getting a hattrick by any means possible. There would be no plan B.
For the first he was picked out with expert precision by Federico Bernardeschi, a candidate for man of the match had Ronaldo not been so brilliant, hitting his 52nd hat-trick
he rose above Juanfran, a player who looked lost at left back, and a bullet header flew past Jan Oblak. But Ronaldo, 34, was just warming up and everyone inside the Allianz Stadium knew it.
Juventus, roared on by their fiercely loyal ultras after their planned protest was botched, were like a squad possessed.
Atletico were stunned, lethargic in comparison to manager Diego Simeone, who was bouncing round his technical area.
The second came four minutes after the restart in similar fashion to the first. Ronaldo, this time picked out by Joao Cancelo, found space between Diego Godin and Juanfran and despite the best efforts of Oblak, the goal was given. Goal-line technology, unlike VAR, is without its critics. It worked at a vital moment and Atletico’s lead vanished. extra time loomed, but this is the Ronaldo show. That is how they sold the tickets, the shirts, the masks and the dream to a fanbase worried this may be the final act in the tournament. Again Bernardeschi was the heart of it as he wriggled free from the left wing, into the area and was clumsily fouled. Referee Bjorn Kuipers didn’t need confirmation from his VAR colleagues, it was a penalty. Ronaldo knew it, Massimiliano Allegri knew it and Simeone knew it.
he was up to 24 goals in 32 games against Atletico. here was a chance for 25 and to fire Juventus through. The dream to play the final in their own stadium on June 1 was hanging by a thread.
puffing out his cheeks, the stadium was a bowl of nerves. They needn’t have worried. Oblak dived low to his left, watching the ball fly into the opposite corner as Ronaldo raced to the crowd. When he is in this form, nobody can touch him. Simeone’s wild celebrations from the first leg were a distant memory. his side were vulnerable, struggling without the suspended Thomas partey and Diego Costa.
They will be re-living the moment seconds before half-time when Alvaro Morata, starting in place of Costa against his former club, could have killed the tie for good. A free header no more than six yards out was sent high.
Ronaldo said he would do it. This is why Juventus paid £99million for him. When it counts, he never misses the mark.