Juventus will face Barcelona in the Champions League final
after Alvaro Morata came back to haunt former club and holders Real Madrid.
Morata scored the precious away goal in a 1-1 draw in the
second leg of their semi-final on Wednesday to progress 3-2 on aggregate.
With Juventus leading 2-1 from the first leg, Cristiano
Ronaldo's first-half penalty had put the hosts ahead on away goals.
However, Morata, who left Madrid for the Italian champions
last July, struck the vital blow when he volleyed home Paul Pogba's knockdown
on 57 minutes to take Juventus to their first final in 12 years in Berlin on
June 6.
The final will see Barca's Luis Suarez face Giorgio
Chiellini, who he was banned four months for biting at the World Cup, and
Patrice Evra, who the Uruguayan was charged with racially abusing during their
time at Liverpool and Manchester United respectively.
"It was a difficult match because Madrid have so much
strength up front if you are not concentrated they will punish you," said
Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri.
"We had a lot of chances in which we lacked the final
pass. We deserved to be in the final because the boys grew as the game went
on."
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti meanwhile may have
overseen his final European game in charge of Los Blancos and claimed his side
lacked the luck they had in scoring in stoppage time in last season's final.
"We didn't have a lot of luck. If we had luck to win
the Champions League in the last minute then maybe we lacked it tonight,"
said Ancelotti.
Soaring temperatures of over 30 degrees celsius didn't
prevent a frantic start to the match as the hosts went looking for the goal
they needed from the off.
Gareth Bale had the first chance as he headed over Marcelo's
cross before Karim Benzema blasted off target from a narrow angle having turned
Stephan Lichtsteiner brilliantly inside the area.
The unrelenting Madrid pressure continued as Bale's
piledriver was brilliantly turned behind by Gianluigi Buffon.
However, there was nothing the Italian captain could do to
prevent Ronaldo registering his 10th goal in Champions League semi-finals from
the spot after James Rodriguez had been felled by Giorgio Chiellini midway
through the half.
Buffon came to his side's rescue with two more saves from
Benzema, whilst Ronaldo also smashed into the side-netting and wasted a clear
opening by trying to square for Isco with the goal at his mercy before
halftime.
Claudio Marchisio was first to take aim after the break as
his driven effort flew just beyond Casillas's right-hand post.
Juventus did get the all-important away goal just before the
hour mark when Madrid failed to fully clear from Andrea Pirlo's free-kick and
Morata was on hand to volley home after Pogba outmuscled Sergio Ramos.
Bale had the chance to silence his critics five minutes
later as Marcelo stormed down the left and his low cross was sliced wide by the
Welshman at the near post.
Casillas kept Madrid in the tie as he spread himself to make
a fine save from Marchisio as the game raged from end to end.
Bale headed over from Ronaldo's cross as the European
champions grip on the trophy started to slip away.
Casillas denied Juventus victory on the night by getting
strong hands to Pogba's drive.
But their captain's efforts were in vain as Madrid's final
realistic hopes of winning a major trophy this season disappeared and Juventus
progressed to their eighth European Cup final.
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