Los Blancos trash Italy’s Old Lady
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What was expected to be a hard-fought bout between the elite of Italy and Spain, turned into an outright spanking.
‘Los Blancos’ Cruised by the Knockout Round
After a less than stellar group stage performance, Real Madrid made up for it by pounding Napoli, Bayern Munich, and Atlético Madrid. In total, they scored 16 goals and only conceded 7. What Real Madrid did was a foreshadowing of what was going to happen in the final.
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The ‘Old Lady’ Skimmed through the Whole Tournament
Over in Group H, Juventus did not struggle in topping their group. Lyon and Sevilla forced a draw each; but that’s it. Juve nailed 9 goals and only conceded two. When the team made it to knockout round, Porto, Barcelona, and Monaco were nowhere near being threats. With that being said, Juve looked destined to win the “big one”.
Juve’s Early Attacks were Short Lived
Once referee Felix Brych blew the whistle, Juve did not hesitate on trying to create scoring opportunities. The former Real Madrid star, Gonzalo Higuaín, managed to squeeze in two shots on goal that were easy saves for Keylor Navas.
Juve’s aggression came with a price, at the 20th minute. Ronaldo put Madrid ahead, with a perfect goal. Yes, Madrid didn’t unleash an onslaught of goals, but they did expose the defensive frailties of Juve’s midfield and defense.
Mario’s Goal Provided Hope
Minutes after Ronaldo’s goal, Mario Mandzukic netted one for Juve. Hands down, that was the best goal of the match. It was a beautiful setup and execution. 2002’s Zidane tips his hat to Mario.
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The first half ended with Real Madrid winning two well deserved yellow cards.
Real Madrid’s destruction of Juve
Just as Juve started off as the aggressors in the 1st half, Madrid showed them how it’s done.16 minutes into the half, thanks to a long-range shot from Casemiro, Madrid got their 2nd goal. Gianlugi Buffon reacted on time, but the deflection off Sami Khedira secured the goal.
2-1 wasn’t enough, so Ronaldo decided to score again. The constant pressure by the Madrid offense broke Juve and it allowed Ronaldo to score again. From that point on, Juve was just really sloppy in their offense. Whatever chances Juve produced were due to common courtesy.
The chances of scoring were reduced to near zero when Cuadrado fouled Sergio Ramos and was sent off (2nd yellow card). 82nd minute sub Marco Asensio inflicted the mortal wound at the 90th minute.
With the victory, “Lose Blancos” are the undisputed champions of UEFA. Juve took home their 7th final loss. So ends the 2016-17 UEFA Champions League.
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