Ronaldo's spectacular double helps Real Madrid to first-leg thrashing of Juventus
Wed Apr 04, 2018 07:35:am Sports
3K By Obiaks Blog
Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice, his second a brilliant overhead kick, as Real Madrid took a huge step towards the Champions League semifinals with a 3-0 win against Juventus in Turin.
Ronaldo fired the La Liga side ahead just three minutes into the quarterfinal first-leg tie, and then produced a moment of pure brilliance to double the lead just after the hour which even had the home fans applauding.
Juve saw forward Paulo Dybala sent off for a second yellow card before Marcelo added Real's third away goal in the 72nd minute to all but end the contest ahead of the second leg back in Madrid.
Ronaldo became the first player to score in 10 consecutive Champions League matches when Real swept into an early lead.
Marcelo fed Isco down the left channel and the midfielder's cut-back into the penalty area fell right to Ronaldo, who fired his 13th Champions League goal of the season past Gianluigi Buffon.
The Italians, who finished runners-up to Real Madrid in last season's European final in Cardiff, slowly started to regroup.
Only a brilliant reaction save from Keylor Navas prevented Juve from equalising in the 23rd minute.
Dybala floated a free kick into the Real Madrid penalty area, where Gonzalo Higuain connected with the ball full-on inside the six-yard box, only for Navas to throw out an arm and deflect it away.
The Bianconeri went close again as Dybala just failed to get on the end of a ball across from defender Mattia De Sciglio.
Real, though, almost doubled their lead in the 35th minute when a 20-yard effort from German midfielder Toni Kroos crashed against the crossbar with Buffon beaten.
At the other end, Juve defender Giorgio Chiellini headed wide from a corner, before Rodrigo Bentancur fired over after a counter-attack.
Juve appealed for a penalty when Chiellini's flick-on knocked Casemiro on the arm as he jumped, but the Turkish referee was not interested.
Real Madrid almost went further ahead at the start of the second half.
Karim Benzema did well to barge into the right side of the penalty area before the lose ball fell to Ronaldo, whose drive from the tightest of angles was only just wide of the far post.
In the 54th minute, Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos picked up a yellow card for bundling over Dybala just outside the penalty area, which will rule the defender out of the second leg through suspension.
The free kick from Dybala deflected off the wall and dropped just wide of the top-left corner, with Navas wrong-footed.
Ronaldo eventually doubled Real's lead with a goal of the highest quality.
A mix-up between Chiellini and Buffon saw substitute Lucas Vazquez denied by a flying recovery save from the goalkeeper.
Buffon, though, could only stand and watch as Dani Carvajal floated a cross in from the right which Ronaldo, with his back to goal, dispatched into the top corner with a perfectly-executed overhead kick.
The calibre of the finish left Los Blancos coach Zinedine Zidane shaking his head in disbelief, while the Juve fans applauded in stunned admiration.
In the 66th minute, Dybala, who had been booked for diving at the end of the first half, was sent off for a second caution when clattering into Carvajal with a high boot.
Marcelo then bundled in a third goal in the 72 minute after a one-two with Ronaldo.
Substitute Mateo Kovacic hit the bar before Ronaldo saw a shot saved and then fired over as Real Madrid all but secured their place in the semifinals.
ESPN
Ronaldo fired the La Liga side ahead just three minutes into the quarterfinal first-leg tie, and then produced a moment of pure brilliance to double the lead just after the hour which even had the home fans applauding.
Juve saw forward Paulo Dybala sent off for a second yellow card before Marcelo added Real's third away goal in the 72nd minute to all but end the contest ahead of the second leg back in Madrid.
Ronaldo became the first player to score in 10 consecutive Champions League matches when Real swept into an early lead.
Marcelo fed Isco down the left channel and the midfielder's cut-back into the penalty area fell right to Ronaldo, who fired his 13th Champions League goal of the season past Gianluigi Buffon.
The Italians, who finished runners-up to Real Madrid in last season's European final in Cardiff, slowly started to regroup.
Only a brilliant reaction save from Keylor Navas prevented Juve from equalising in the 23rd minute.
Dybala floated a free kick into the Real Madrid penalty area, where Gonzalo Higuain connected with the ball full-on inside the six-yard box, only for Navas to throw out an arm and deflect it away.
The Bianconeri went close again as Dybala just failed to get on the end of a ball across from defender Mattia De Sciglio.
Real, though, almost doubled their lead in the 35th minute when a 20-yard effort from German midfielder Toni Kroos crashed against the crossbar with Buffon beaten.
At the other end, Juve defender Giorgio Chiellini headed wide from a corner, before Rodrigo Bentancur fired over after a counter-attack.
Juve appealed for a penalty when Chiellini's flick-on knocked Casemiro on the arm as he jumped, but the Turkish referee was not interested.
Real Madrid almost went further ahead at the start of the second half.
Karim Benzema did well to barge into the right side of the penalty area before the lose ball fell to Ronaldo, whose drive from the tightest of angles was only just wide of the far post.
In the 54th minute, Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos picked up a yellow card for bundling over Dybala just outside the penalty area, which will rule the defender out of the second leg through suspension.
The free kick from Dybala deflected off the wall and dropped just wide of the top-left corner, with Navas wrong-footed.
Ronaldo eventually doubled Real's lead with a goal of the highest quality.
A mix-up between Chiellini and Buffon saw substitute Lucas Vazquez denied by a flying recovery save from the goalkeeper.
Buffon, though, could only stand and watch as Dani Carvajal floated a cross in from the right which Ronaldo, with his back to goal, dispatched into the top corner with a perfectly-executed overhead kick.
The calibre of the finish left Los Blancos coach Zinedine Zidane shaking his head in disbelief, while the Juve fans applauded in stunned admiration.
In the 66th minute, Dybala, who had been booked for diving at the end of the first half, was sent off for a second caution when clattering into Carvajal with a high boot.
Marcelo then bundled in a third goal in the 72 minute after a one-two with Ronaldo.
Substitute Mateo Kovacic hit the bar before Ronaldo saw a shot saved and then fired over as Real Madrid all but secured their place in the semifinals.
ESPN
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