Cristiano Ronaldo’s incredible bicycle kick helped UCL defending champions destroy Juventus in Turin in the first leg of the quarter final.
The Real Madrid forward showed class as he was clinical and outstanding throughout the entire match. The Portuguese made history by becoming the first player to score in 10 consecutive Champions League games.
The first half of the match was very entertaining and filled with action but the home-side failed to utilize the opportunities that their way.
Barely had the teams settled into the rigorous match, a run on the left flang by Isco and a decent pass saw Ronaldo flick it quickly to see the ball go past Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon in the 3rd minute of the encounter.
The Italian side had chances to restore parity in the first half but didn’t capitalize on the chances presented. Toni Kross nearly doubled Madrid’s lead when he took a shot within 25 yards that hit the cross bar.
The moment that electrified the atmosphere came in the 64th minute as a cross on the right from Dani Carvajal found its way to Ronaldo whose exceptional quality saw him ‘think and decide’ quickly what to do with the incoming cross.
The Portuguese soared in the air, metres above the ground to send a flying acrobatic kick beyond the grasp of Gigi Buffon, who was helpless on this occasion.
Such was the brilliance of the strike that Juventus fans who ensued the stadium was filled to capacity stood up to applaud the goal that probably ended their hopes and dented their chance of a possible comeback.
It was indeed an awful night for Juventus who lost in the last year’s finals of the Uefa Champions League to Real Madrid. The ‘Old Ladies’ had hope for a revenge against Madrid but was beaten once again.
The situation got worse in the 65th minute when Paulo Dybala who was earlier booked for diving was shown a second yellow card that culminated into a red as he raised his boot high and it landed on Madrid’s Carvajal’s chest.
Juventus were down to 10 men and at this point Marcelo effectively booked Real Madrid’s place in the last four when he played a one-two with Ronaldo before scoring from close range.
Ronaldo, 33 who started the season slowly has now scored 16 goals in his past 10 Champions League games- 14 goals this season and a double in last year’s final against Juventus.
The Portuguese, only touched the ball 49 times in the course of the game, had two chances for a hat-trick, first when he forced a save from goalkeeper Buffon from 16-yards and then a shot over when totally unmarked from a 10-yard distance for Vazquez’s cross.
Domestic strugglers they might seem to be with 13 points behind league leaders Barcelona, but their place in the last four of the Uefa CL is as good as booked.
“It’s not easy to put three goals past Juventus on their own field. We pput in a great performance, but Juve also did well, put us under pressure and had chances to score goals, but we were more clinical,” said former Juventus play-maker and Madrid coach, Zidane.
“Of course Juventus are not happy with the result tonight, but I will always have Juve in my heart.”
Juventus’ hopes of winning their first Champions League since 1996 are surely at an end – with legendary 40-year-old keeper Buffon, who could retire this summer, likely to end career having never lifted the trophy.
Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri admitted after the full time whistle that it was “almost impossible” to progress.
They came into the game in top form –unbeaten in 25 games, winning 21 of those and having recently gone top of Serie A above Napoli.
Allegri said: “There is absolutely nothing to blame the boys for. We faced an extraordinary team with probably the best player in the world.
“Now we raise our heads, we think about the future and the league.
“For the first hour we made a good game. But everything happened against us. They are really devastating; otherwise they would not have won so much in the past few years.
“Now it’s almost impossible.”