Well, quite a game lol.
That was the worst Real I've seen in months and the best Juve I've seen all season.
Also, I'm glad Mandzukic is looking like he did last season, a defensive rock and a menace to full backs when he moves into the middle - in a season in which he's been struggling to gain form due to multiple small, but nagging injuries.
To be fair, Real was the better side in the second half, they calmed down and Juve was gradually losing intensity.
This is where I think Allegri waited too long with the changes, there were some dead tired Juve players out there after the 70th minute.
At that point, to me it was just a question whether Real will get one before extra time, and not if Juve can get another one.
Think this game also shows just how underrated Benzema is and how badly Real were missing him (not to mention Ramos, defense went down two tiers without him), and sadly, how Bale really doesn't fit in with that system anymore.
It's not only the injuries and the loss of form, Bale's just built better for a Mou-Real instead of the Zidane-Real.
I'd be shocked if he didn't move in the summer.
I thought Juve's midfield absolutely bossed the first half, I haven't seen Modric and Kroos outplayed like that since... Well, ever, really. Pjanic and Khadira were fantastic.
On the other hand, Modric's been Real most consistent player this season (he always is really), but he came back with a knock from the US where Croatia played their meaningless friendly, and has been struggling since. They have very little time to get him back to 100%, or it just isn't the same team. He did not look like himself last night.
Penalty at the end? Eh, I think you have to call that. It really was a 100% chance to score and he got impeded with a shove. Benatia had both his hands on Vasquez, and it's probably enough to impede the guy enough. And that's just the shove, he misses the ball and connects with Vasquez's chest as well.
It's not THE cleanest pen in the world, but the correct call. Very unfortunate for Juve after a great performance, but yes, ultimately, the right call.
I'm sorry Buffon's CL career might end like this, but he lost it at the end. Imagine if Ronaldo misses the pen and they had to play with 10 men in extra time...
Michael Oliver is overrated IMO, he's screwed over West Ham more than once, but that call was probably the correct one, and it took guts to call it - and I will give him one thing, he doesn't mess about with red cards when players get in his face and say the wrong thing to him, which is as it should be.
The Di Maria red card (when he was at ManUtd) was awesome and I like the stupefied looks on players faces when a ref actually has the balls to send them off after they get in their face, crowd them, mouth them off, etc.
Overall, Zidane needs to get the squad back to 100%, because yesterday they were lucky to survive that.
Yeah, they were missing Ramos and Benzema and Modric was playing with a knock, but they still got bossed around in the first half.