What a night! Real Madrid secured a 12th European crown and a piece of history in Cardiff, beating Juventus 4-1 in the final. There were so many takeaways from this game; from Juve’s collapse to Asensio scoring in a Champions League Final at 21. After looking over the game I have picked 3 key takeaways from Los Blancos Champions League win.
Real Madrid defend the Champions League
I don’t think anyone who watched the Milan Final last year would have expected Real to still be European champions 12 months later. The win felt rather strange and unexpected. A year later and this win feels even weirder.
Madrid achieved a feat that many believed not possible. Last night’s win is of huge historical important for European football as a whole and also for the club (something I will write about soon). The win also sees Real take their Champions League tally to 6, equalling their haul of European Cups and becoming the most successful team in the Champions League era.
Ronaldo silences the critics (again)
Do you have a moment to talk about Cristiano Ronaldo? You do, please, step into my office. I could write for years on why the Portuguese superstar is among the greatest ever to play the game. To keep things short, I am just going to list off his achievements for this, his worst season at Real Madrid:
- Ronaldo now has 105 career Champions League goals. He has 90 in 88 European games for Madrid.
- Ronaldo scored 12 goals (only 2 in the group stages) this season to win the top scorer award for the 5th season in a row.
- Ronaldo became the first player to score in 3 separate Champions League Finals.
- Ronaldo now has 600 career goals.
If this is Ronaldo in decline, then long may it last because it seems Cristiano is just getting better.
Watch Out Marcos Llorente
Much has been made of Marcos Llorente this season. The 20-year-old enjoyed a wonderful season on loan at Deportivo Alaves and many expect him to replace Casimero in the near future. After putting in a standout performance, where WhoScored named him the man of the match, Casimero has demonstrated his quality when we needed him most.
It’s becoming a familiar sight, Casimero put in huge performances in Milan and in the Nou Camp win last season. The Brazilian;s introduction has correlated with the success of this team over the last two years. I can’t wait for the battle for the defensive midfielder spot next season.
🔝#️⃣1️⃣4️⃣🔝 pic.twitter.com/lWfPYlrww6
— Casemiro (@Casemiro) June 4, 2017
I am still in shock over this win so it’s hard to gather my thoughts on the matter.
Next: Cristiano Ronaldo solidifies himself as a champion, and one of the best ever