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Real Madrid: 5 Greatest UCL Knockout Moments from 2010s

By Prasanna Baidya

TOPSHOT - Real Madrid's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo (C) overhead kicks and scores during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg football match between Juventus and Real Madrid at the Allianz Stadium in Turin on April 3, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Alberto PIZZOLI (Photo credit should read ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images)
TOPSHOT - Real Madrid's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo (C) overhead kicks and scores during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg football match between Juventus and Real Madrid at the Allianz Stadium in Turin on April 3, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Alberto PIZZOLI (Photo credit should read ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo(Photo credit should read ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images)
Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo(Photo credit should read ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images) /

3. Ronaldo’s bicycle kick (Juventus vs. Real Madrid – Quater-Final, 1st Leg, 2017/18) 

No other player has made as much impact at Real Madrid as Cristiano Ronaldo has. He is one of the greatest forwards to have donned the Los Blancos badge and arguably the greatest in Champions League history. His contribution to Real Madrid’s four UCL wins is unmatched.

His records speak for itself. The Portuguese captain is the highest goalscorer in the Champions League with 129 goals, he was the top scorer in the competition for six straight seasons, and he is the only player to have scored in three different UCL finals. Any list about the Champions League will be incomplete with a few Cristiano Ronaldo moments.

One such moment for Real Madrid came in the semi-final 1st leg of 2017/18 against Juventus. The former Real Madrid talisman had given Los Blancos an early lead when he converted Isco’s pass into the back of the net on the 3rd minute. However, the Italian champions were not about to give up. They started creating numerous chances and gave the Merengues plenty of trouble. The game was balanced, maybe tilting a bit towards the home team, but a flash of brilliance from Ronaldo changed the tide completely.

Then Madrid forward leaped over 2 meters, and in a showcase of his magnificent ability, smashed an overhead kick into the back of the net past an awed Gianluigi Buffon. A goal for the ages, as the Portuguese goalscorer celebrated, Turin gave him a standing ovation in recognition of the grandeur they had just witnessed. The Royal Whites went on to win the match 0-3, but that bicycle kick is still an unforgettable moment for football fans everywhere.

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