By Dipo Olowookere
Real Madrid defeated Juventus on Saturday night to clinch the coveted UEFA Champions League trophy, after winning the competition last season. With the win, Madrid became the first team to successfully defend the title in the Champions League era.
The Spanish football outfit humiliated their Italian opponent by four goals to one. Before the finals played at the Wales National Stadium in Cardiff, Juventus goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon, had only conceded three goals throughout the tournament, but the Los Blanco put four past him yesterday night.
Madrid went ahead in the 20th minute of the game with a goal from Cristiano Ronaldo, while Mario Mandzukic restored the match’s equality 7 minutes later.
Both teams went into the first half sharing the spoils, but at the resumption of the second stanza of the game, Casemiro restored Real Madrid’s lead in the 61st minute.
Efforts by the Old Lady to restore parity proved abortive and they were punished for making an error, which Ronaldo did not spare them for. The Portuguese scored his second goal of the night in the 64th minutes.
Salt was added to the Massimiliano Allegri’s men’s injury when substitute, Juan Cuadrado, was shown the second yellow by the German referee, Felix Brych, for his unsportsmanlike conduct.
Madrid went ahead to punish Juventus by adding another goal, scored by Marco Asensio in the 90th minute, but was shown a yellow for over jubilating.
Modupe Gbadeyanka