Mission Accomplished! Real Madrid Beat Juventus To Break Champions League Curse

Real Madrid defeated Juventus to become the first football club to win the Champions League title twice consecutively in the history of the competition.

The Spanish champs beat the Serie A champions 4-1 on Saturday evening in a much anticipated final match at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff to emerge the European champions for a record 12th time.

Prior to the match, Coach Zinedine Zidane expressed confidence that Real would deal with the pressure when they face the 1996 European champions.

Several reactions and predictions from football lovers across the world as well as great men of the game had also trailed the match.

Football legends like Luis Figo, Clarence Seedorf, Ryan Giggs, Luis Garcia and Marcel Desailly, who are mostly Champions League winners themselves, had said this season’s edition seemed to be one of the most intriguing in years.

Many of them, however, echoed the sentiments of neutrals across Europe in supporting Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.

Former Liverpool midfielder Garcia had told reporters in Cardiff that though both Real and Juventus were the most consistent teams in the tournament, he wished to see Buffon lift the trophy.

“Both teams can win the trophy. You can see the best defenders against probably the best strike force, so I think it is going to be a fantastic game. I want to see Buffon lifting the trophy. I think that is why I go there,” he said.

The goalkeeper’s former teammate, David Trezeguet also said: “It’s a high-level match. He loves high-level games, he loves high-level trophies. Obviously, the possibility of playing yet another final really motivates him.

“I think that after all he has done for his club, for his country, to lift up this cup, a cup he is missing, would mean a great deal”.

39-year-old Buffon has won almost everything in the game but is still missing a winning Champions League medal.

He has also failed to take advantage of his last chance to win the trophy with Juventus’ loss to defending champions Real Madrid.