Juventus lost their fifth consecutive Champions League Final, as a marvellous Mario Mandzukic goal was not enough and Real Madrid retained the trophy with a 4-1 result.
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Juventus lost their fifth consecutive Champions League Final, as a marvellous Mario Mandzukic goal was not enough and Real Madrid retained the trophy with a 4-1 result.
See how it all unfolded on the LIVEBLOG.
Or check out our Player Ratings for the Old Lady.
The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff hosted the Champions League Final, as Juve were looking to complete the Treble and win the first edition since 1996, having lost their last four Finals. Dani Alves (on his 100th Champions League appearance) and Andrea Barzagli started in a shifting 4-2-3-1 that moved into 3-4-3, while Gareth Bale was not fully fit after a calf strain, so Isco partnered Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo. Real Madrid wanted to be the first club to retain the trophy since it moved to the Champions League format.
In their previous meetings, there were eight wins each and two draws, including the 1998 Final decided by an offside Predrag Mijatovic goal.
The Bianconeri had the more aggressive start, both Gonzalo Higuain and Miralem Pjanic testing Keylor Navas from outside the box, the Bosnian forcing his low one-handed save at the near bottom corner in the opening seven minutes.
However, it was Real Madrid who scored against the run of play with their first attempt. Cristiano Ronaldo surged forward, completed a give-and-go with Dani Carvajal on the right and his low drive from the edge of the area took a decisive deflection off Leonardo Bonucci to go beyond Gigi Buffon into the far bottom corner.
The Ballon d’Or winner became the first player to score in three different Champions League Finals.
However, Juve got back on level terms with perhaps the best goal ever seen in the Final. Alex Sandro’s cross was knocked on by Higuain, Mandzukic chested it down from 14 yards out and hit an astounding overhead kick that looped into the far top corner. It was simply unstoppable and extraordinary from the Croatia international.
Cristiano Ronaldo turned his diving header well wide from a good position and the Pjanic volley was charged down, but Sergio Ramos and Dani Carvajal went into the book in the first half.
After the restart, a decisive Andrea Barzagli tackle stopping Isco at the by-line, as he wrapped his leg around to toe-poke the ball away.
Buffon smothered a Luka Modric snapshot, while Ronaldo just failed to get on the end of a Marcelo cross as he came sliding in at the far post.
Juve were increasingly pegged back, so eventually Casemiro tried a long-range strike that was deflected off Sami Khedira’s heel to loop over Buffon’s hand at the near bottom corner.
The Spaniards rode the momentum and quickly added a third, Juve again poor in passing their way out of defence, as Luka Modric won back possession and then pulled back from the by-line for Ronaldo to turn in from close range, getting between Giorgio Chiellini and Bonucci.
Max Allegri introduced Juan Cuadrado and Claudio Marchisio, though the Colombian was immediately booked, and Bonucci made a crucial interception to stop Gareth Bale tapping in a Ronaldo cut-back.
Alex Sandro’s glancing header whistled just wide from the Dani Alves free kick, but the third goal visibly drained the belief out of the Bianconeri.
Cuadrado completed his awful – and brief – performance with a second yellow card, even if Ramos made a huge meal out of very little.
In the final minute, Marcelo pulled back from the by-line for relatively unmarked Marcos Asensio to tap in from close range. They are the first side to retain the trophy in the Champions League era, following Milan in 1989-90.
Juventus 1-4 Real Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo 20, 64 (RM), Mandzukic 27 (J), Casemiro 61 (RM), Asensio 90 (RM)
Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli (Cuadrado 66), Bonucci, Chiellini, Alex Sandro; Pjanic (Marchisio 71), Khedira; Dani Alves, Dybala (Lemina 78), Mandzukic; Higuain
Real Madrid: Keylor Navas; Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo; Modric, Casemiro, Kroos (Morata 89); Isco (Asensio 82); Benzema (Bale 77), Cristiano Ronaldo
Ref: Brych (GER)
Sent off: Cuadrado 84 (J)