Juventus turns Real into former Champions League champion

Drawing 1-1 at Bernabeu in the second leg last night, May 13, Juventus won a ticket to the final against Barcelona with a 2-1 aggregate victory.

Juventus players' joy of reaching the final. Photo: Reuters.

Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring in the 23rd minute from the penalty spot. The Portuguese striker's 10th goal in the Champions League this season was enough to send Real through to the final on away and home goals. However, Real's dream of reaching Berlin 2015 was ended by Bernabeu outcast Alvaro Morata. The 22-year-old striker coolly finished early in the second half to level the scores. The 1-1 draw in the second leg sent Juventus into the Champions League final.

Morata did not celebrate his goal because of his love for his old team. Of the three goals Juventus scored against Real in the semi-finals, Morata contributed to two. This was like a strong slap in the pride of the "White Vulture" when a player who grew up in the team's training center, left less than a year and then returned to end the dream of reaching the final of the most prestigious arena in Europe. Real fans are the ones who feel this pain the most with the feelings they had for Morata when he played at Bernabeu. The young Spanish striker had potential, proving himself when given the chance but could not stay because of the club president's policy of favoring famous stars.

Real Madrid became the former champion, meaning the Champions League "curse" has not been broken. For more than 20 years, no team has successfully defended the European Cup championship. The prospect of the first Clasico in the Champions League final has also not become a reality.

Instead, a strong attacking team - Barca will face Juventus - a club that relies on solid defense. Tiki-taka upgrades will compete with modern-day Catenaccio. The final on June 6 will also be interesting with the reunion of Luis Suarez and the two "victims" Giorgio Chiellini and Patrice Evra.

Real's strikers missed shots continuously, especially Bale. Photo: Reuters.

The "Old Lady" advanced thanks to the solidity of the defense, especially thanks to the talent of Gianluigi Buffon - the Iron Wall. The efficiency in finishing was also a winning factor for the Italian representative. That is what Real sorely lacked in this match. Real clearly lost because of poor finishing. The "White Vulture" created 23 finishing moves but only hit the goal five times. The accurate shooting rate was 22%, less than half of Juventus (50%): four shots on target out of eight shots.

Gareth Bale was the home team's top scorer. He had more than seven shots: headers, long shots, close shots, but only one was on target. That was also Bale's best shot with a cannon shot from more than 30 meters, forcing Buffon to make a hard save. The Welsh midfielder played better than in the first leg, playing with more determination.

Ronaldo equals Messi's Champions League scoring record. Photo: Reuters.

The match was exciting from the first minutes. Real had to attack to make up for the disadvantage from the first leg. Juve did not defend, playing tit for tat to gain the initiative. The first dangerous opportunity belonged to Juventus. Arturo Vidal shot hard right in front of the penalty area, forcing Casillas to lean forward to block.

Just a few minutes later, Real took the lead. In the 23rd minute, Chiellini fouled James Rodriguez in the box, giving Real a penalty. Ronaldo beat Buffon on the 11-meter mark. The Portuguese striker thus equaled Messi's scoring record in the Champions League this season with 10 goals.

After the opening goal, Juventus controlled the ball more. Real "took advantage of the situation" and waited for the opportunity to counterattack quickly with fast players up front such as. The home team had very good counterattacks. Benzema and Ronaldo had chances to shoot close to the goal, but Buffon was still a difficult block for Juventus.

Morata did not celebrate the important goal against his former team. Photo: Reuters.

Early in the second half, Juventus scored a valuable goal from a set piece. After Pirlo's cross, Casillas punched the ball up. Vidal passed it back into the box, Pogba jumped high and headed it into the middle. Morata controlled the ball for a moment and then shot hard. The ball hit Casillas' hand and flew into the net.

In the remaining minutes, coach Ancelotti sent Chicharito onto the field, increasing the pressure. Real created some good chances but Ronaldo and Bale both missed shots. Juventus had two great counter-attacks, almost scoring but Casillas successfully blocked them.

Anyway, a 1-1 draw was enough for Juventus to advance to the final.

According to VNE