PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP! END OF IT. END OF THE DRAMA. IT'S JUST HOW IT IS, EH? MICHAEL OLIVIER WITH THE RIGHT DECISION. BUT CRISTIANO RONALDO DELIVERED WITH THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD ON HIS SHOULDERS! THIS MAN, I MEAN, WHO THE HELL COULD REAL HAVE TURNED TO TO BURY THAT ONE? WHO COULD ANYONE HAVE TURNED TO IN THE LAST MINUTE OF THE GAME TO SALVAGE A GOAL THAT WILL SEE THEM THROUGH TO THE SEMI-FINALS?
CRISTIANO FREAKING RONALDO.
WOOF WOOF WOOF.
"FOOTBALL, BLOODY HELL."
I NEED TO WALK THIS ONE OFF, LADS. OFF HERE. HOPE YOU DIDN'T MISS THIS ONE.
YOU JUST DO NOT SAVE THAT. RONNIE BOY HAS LEATHERED IT INTO THE TOP CORNER. THIS IS UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE. THIS IS CRISTIANO RONALDO. THIS IS REAL MADRID. PUT IN THE SPOT. DO IT OR GO DIE. AND HE HAS THUMPED IT TO THE NET. WHO ELSE, EH? WHO ELSE COULD POSSIBLY DO JUSTICE TO THE SCENARIO?! CRISTIANO RONALDO. THE ONE AND ONLY.
I haven't seen anything quite like this. Juventus executed their plan to perfection for the entirety of the game save the last 30 seconds. And the stage is set for none other than Cristiano Ronaldo to seal it for Real Madrid here.
93' OH MY GOD! PENALTY FOR REAL MADRID! OH MY LORDY LORD!
Last minute of stoppage time. Marcelo down the left flank finds Asensio who plays it in for Kroos! Kroos dinks it in for Ronaldo and Vazquez looks all set to tap it in and Benatia gets rightly penalized. And BUFFON HAS ABSOLUTELY LOST IT! BUFFON GETS A RED CARD. WHAT IS THIS MADNESS?!
85' A teasing cross from Carvajal from the right flank and Ronaldo was waiting at the far post and he couldn't wrap his head around it and he skies it. That was beautifully set up for him!
84' It's Miralem Pjanic territory but they take it short and make a mess of it. Sigh, come on, Juve. Gotta do better than that. Navas collects it and sets a Real Madrid counter in motion.
82' Real Madrid finding it hard to battle out from the back now. Marcelo tries to lob the ball into Isco's path but it, unfortunately, goes out of play near the centre of the park.
79' Madness, madness here. Raphael Varane almost gets there to head it home but for Chiellini who flicks it away from the danger area to thwart yet another dangerous looking Real Madrid attack.
78' OH VARANE! SO SO CLOSE! Real Madrid recycle possession after the corner goes kaput and they work it to good effect as Varane goes for goal from inside the box with his back against the goal. His shot is just wide of the mark. He had the beating of Buffon there though.
77' OH ISCO! Isco forces a brilliant, brilliant save out of Buffon after Marcelo dragged it back for him from the left side. They win a corner but it's nothing spectacular.
75' Khedira couldn't take the shot! Mario Mandzukic with a delightful dinked ball into the box and Khedira tries to sidefoot it past Navas with his right but Jesus Vallejo steps in with a timely challenge to turn it out for a corner. But Juventus don't work the corner well and Real Madrid are back in possession.
74' Real Madrid take their sweet time to create space in their final third but Ronaldo goes the selfish route and tries to go for goal from an unlikely angle but Juve block it for a corner. Nothing comes from the corner.
72' Pjanic has been absolutely bossing it in midfield and he wriggles past Modric once again but Juve can't make anything happen in the final third this time. As Madrid break on the counter, Douglas Costa hacks Asensio down and rightly gets rewarded with a yellow card.
67' Alex Sandro crashes into Lucas Vazquez, right outside the box. Replays reveal that Vazquez just pulled off a dive there. Good dive, though. Gets Madrid a freekick. Ronaldo and Asensio on it. It's towards the right side of the box.
66' No they can't but they're still on it. Chiellini gathers the ball on the left flank but his ball into the box is cleared out of danger and Madrid break on the counter. Ronaldo forays into the attacking half and wins a freekick.
64' Carvajal wins the ball near the centre of the park and motors ahead with the ball but he is taking on an absolute ensemble there as he runs into a cul-de-sac. Come on, Benatia, Chiellini, Sandro, you really think you're getting further than that? You ain't Leo Messi, Dani.
61' Costa whips in a delightful box into the box and Navas drops it. HE DROPS IT! Has he dropped the tie? Matuidi, epitomizing Juve's workrate on the night, is there to tap it home from a yard out and Allegri and Buffon just cannot contain themselves. OHMY GOD what a game we have on our hands!
JUVENTUS WORK IT VERY WELL AND HIGUAIN UNLEASHES A SHOT BUT NAVAS PARRIES IT OUT OF DANGER!
It was excellently worked by Juventus who ping pong the ball around the area to finally free up Higuain to go for goal. He forces a save out of Navas and that's really the extent of it, however.
Lucas Vazquez drives one low into the edge of the area where Ronaldo meets it. He doesn't get enough behind it to beat Buffon though. But that would do a world of good to Ronaldo's and Real Madrid's confidence.
54' Carvajal is on the ground and is making an absolute meal of it. Mandzukic is already on a yellow and needs to be careful here! Freekick for Real Madrid on the right flank.
Ronaldo motors into the box and absolutely sends Chiellini to go fetch the towel on the right side of the box. His cut back is deflected for a corner though. Real Madrid work the corner shot but can't conjure up anything to kill their own nerves.
51' Alex Sandro plays a neat ball to Matuidi from the left flank but Modric comes to collect and Real Madrid sniff out the danger and try to turn defence into attack. But they are forced to keep their tempo low thanks to the high-press by Juve.
49' Alex Sandro shrugs of Lucas Vazquez but his cut-back is intercepted and Juventus clear the danger. It's just more of the same from the first half so far and can we even complain?!
48' Douglas Costa puts his excellent first touch and acceleration on display as he darts away from Marcelo and cuts across the challenge of Asensio to go for goal from about 25 yards away. But his shot is always going into the stands.
47' Vazquez is flagged outside! Asensio plays Vazquez inside the area from the left flank but Vazquez runs into a blind alley and the ball is squeezed out him. Asensio barges in to gather the ball but he gets caught offside.
PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP! And we're off in the second half. Can Juventus finish the night with a historic comeback? They're halfway there. Or will Real Madrid show up and pull Buffon aside and tell him that his net's getting more than just a cuddle tonight? Let's see, lads. Anyway, we're in for 45 minutes of football you just cannot ignore. Football at is very best. UEFA Champions League at its very best. Are you even watching this shiz? If not, this is the second best place. You know it.
Substitutions for Real Madrid.
Lucas Vazquez for Casemiro. Marco Asensio in for Gareth Bale.
PEEEEEEEP! PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP! That's that in the first half and what an opening 45 minutes it has been. The biggest setback of all in an unbelievable set of second leg fixtures is halfway there. Can Juventus see this through? My guess is as good as yours! Join us for the second half. Do not go anywhere!
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