Mario Mandzukic scores one of the best Champions League goals this season
Croatia striker Mario Mandzukic deserves a huge credit for his brilliant effort in the first half. The Juventus target man showed great determination in the box with his acrobatic hook which flew over Keylor Navas and in to the Real Madrid net.
For a player of such stature and physique, Mandzukic demonstrated great skill and technique to find a space for himself and lift up in the air for arguably one of the best striker we’ve seen in the competition. The goal was a well-deserved award for the Croatia international who has been criticized and undermined throughout his career. Former Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid has never been given the full credit he deserves for being such a utility man despite his height. Mac Allegri changed his position, but Mandzukic bowed his head and worked hard to slot himself into the team alongside the likes of Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala, who were expected to push his right out of the squad this season.
Manchester United just raised the asking price on David De Gea
Real Madrid might have just won the Champions League after defending their 11th European title, but Los Blancos hierarchy will waste no time in going ahead with their transfer activities.
And after the game tonight it might be ever so evident that the Spanish champions will step up their efforts for Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea. Keylor Navas deserves credit for his performances for Real Madrid this season, but he has never been eyed as the ideal Los Blancos man. Poor positioning and a failure to stop Mario Mandzukic’s flying effort might have signed his death sentence at Santiago Bernabeu. Manchester United will be well aware Real Madrid will go charging forward during the summer transfer window and his Navas’s putting in a poor performance tonight they could might as well push the asking price on the Spanish shot stoop up a notch. Just for the kick of it if nothing else.
Juventus curse continues
Bianconeri legend Alessandro Del Piero might be claiming Juventus are not cursed, but their results in the Champions League finals beg to differ.
The Serie A champions have last won the coveted trophy in 1996, and have lost in each of the four Champions league finals they were part of. Repeated final disappointments have apparently placed great load of pressure on Juventus’s shoulders. The Old Lady burned out in their own desire providing more ground for all the notorious curse claims. Juventus have been in dominating and impressive form during the knockouts this year, not only eliminating, but also muting the likes of free-scoring sides such as Barcelona and/or Monaco, but their impenetrable defence line capitulated in a frustrating manner on the big night in Cardiff. The Old Lady looked composed and concentrated during the good part of the game and for them to concede as many as three goals in a single game is quite disturbing.
JUVENTUS: Buffon 5.5 – Barzagli 6 (Cuadrado 4), Bonucci 6.5, Chiellini 6 – Alves 6.5, Pjanic 6 (Marchisio 5.5), Khedira 6, Sandro 6 – Dybala 5.5 (Lemina -) – Higuain 6.5, Mandzukic 7.5.
Unused subs: Aamoah, Benatia, Lichtsteiner, Neto.
REAL MADRID: Navas 6 – Carvajal 7, Ramos 7, Varane 7, Marcelo 7 – Kroos 7 (Morata -), Casemiro 7.5, Modric 7.5 – Isco 7 (Asensio 7.5), Benzema 7 (Bale 6), Ronaldo 8.5.
Unused subs: Casilla, Danilo, Nacho, Kovacic.
REFEREE: Felix Brych
