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From Buffon Heartbreak To Ramos' Shameful Theatrics, Here Are The 5 Things Learnt From The #UCLFinal

June 03, 2017

Real Madrid defended their Champions League trophy with a convincing 4-1 win over Juventus in Cardiff on Saturday night.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace, registering his 600th goal for club and country in the process.

Mario Mandzukic had cancelled out Ronaldo’s early opener, but Casemiro and Marco Asensio added further tallies as Real ran away with it.

Here, we look at some of the talking points from a thrilling night in Cardiff.

Real Madrid Rewrite History Again
The competitive nature of the Champions League had ensured that no side had retained the trophy since the competition was restructured a quarter of a century ago. But Real made it three wins in four seasons to become the first back-to-back European champions since Milan won the trophy in 1990.
Real’s win was a record 12th in the competition and also secured them a first LaLiga and European Cup double since 1957-58. Juventus’ own piece of history was less welcome, the Old Lady having now lost a record seven European Cup finals.

Ronaldo Is Still The Main Man
Write Cristiano Ronaldo off at your peril. The Portuguese goal machine might be 32 now, but he still knows the spaces to attack and how to finish. Some 13 years after he scored in the FA Cup final in Cardiff to win his first major trophy at Manchester United, he once again showed he is the man for the big stage.
Here he became the first man to score in three Champions League finals in the modern era and his second at the near post made it 600 goals for club and country. Gareth Bale, a late substitute here in his home city after injury, continues to live in Ronaldo’s shadow.

Super Mario Puts His Name In Light
Juventus forward Mario Mandzukic’s 27th-minute equaliser was one of the greatest goals in Champions League final history. Gonzalo Higuain sent Alex Sandro’s cross towards him but there seemed no danger until the Croatian produced a moment of jaw-dropping brilliance.
Receiving the ball 15 yards out on the left of the area, Mandzukic chested it up before hooking an acrobatic effort past two defenders and over the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Keylor Navas. An incredible goal which will be replayed time and time again.

Buffon The Eternal Bridesmaid
There is little room for sentiment in football and that was underlined again as Gianluigi Buffon became a three-time Champions League final loser. At the age of 39 years and 126 days, the Italy international would have replaced compatriot Paolo Maldini as the oldest player to win the Champions League had Juventus become European champions for the first time since 1996.
Buffon had conceded only three goals on the way to the final, but that total was matched inside 64 minutes as Real showed their cutting edge. Time waits for no man, and Buffon is certainly short on that commodity if he is to win the Champions League.

Ramos Shameful Act
Juan Cuadrado will want to forget the 2017 Champions League final as quickly as possible, after being sent off against Real Madrid after being on the pitch for less than 20 minutes.

The Colombian ace entered the fray as a second half substitute and picked up a yellow card within moments of being on the field.
The game had hardly progressed further when Cuadrado was given his marching orders, shown a red card by the referee following an altercation with Sergio Ramos.

Replays would later show Ramos to have made the most of the incident, throwing himself to the ground at the most minimal of touch. 

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