Champions League talking points

Real Madrid are champions of Europe for an eleventh time.

After Atletico Madrid’s Yannick Carrasco cancelled out Sergio Ramos’ opener, the 2016 Champions League final went to penalties, where Cristiano Ronaldo struck the decisive spot-kick after Juanfran struck a post. 

Here, we round up the talking points from the night…

Ronaldo does it again

It just had to be him. Cristiano Ronaldo was ineffective throughout much of the 120 minutes of the match but it’s impossible to keep the Portuguese out of the headlines. When Juanfran cannoned his penalty into the woodwork, it was no surprise to see the Real Madrid number seven striding forwards to take the fifth, crucial penalty. The shirtless celebration was predictable, too.

But, while it is easy to mock Ronaldo’s appetite for theatre and the big occasion, what can’t be ignored is his consistent ability to deliver when it matters most. The top scorer in Champions League history has now won three of his four finals in the competition.

At the age of 31, Ronaldo has just completed his sixth season in a row in which he’s scored over 50 goals in all competitions. No player has achieved such a feat. While he may not be the dynamic player he once was, his ability to seize the pivotal moment remains.

Zidane’s managerial magic

Zinedine Zidane must wonder what all the fuss is about when it comes to management. In just his 27th game as a manager he’s won the Champions League, the first French coach to do so.

He has been credited with giving Real’s flair players the freedom to express themselves on the field, after the more rigid regime of Rafa Benitez. Seventeen Real Madrid goals in his first four games illustrated the point. As did Real’s revival in La Liga, which took the title race down to the wire.

But, with Casemiro holding in …

continue reading in source www.skysports.com