Juventus 0-3 Real Madrid: Tactical Analysis - Ronaldo masterclass ruins Allegri's plans
The final scoreline may have read Juventus 0-3 Real Madrid but this match was all about that one Cristiano Ronaldo goal. The man lives for the big occasion and a repeat of last year's Champions League final was the perfect stage.
Zinedine Zidane - the man who has scored a few wonder goals himself - turned away holding his head in his hand in utter disbelief. Gianluigi Buffon stood rooted to the spot as he saw his Champions League dreams evaporate in front of his very eyes.
Juventus fans could do nothing but shrug at the audacity of what they had just witnessed and roared their approval; thunderous applause rippling around the ground. They may have seen their team beaten - and quite possibly knocked out - but that one goal had given them their money's worth.
While the final scoreline suggests The Old Lady was beaten hollow, the home side did have their moments and they did not go down without a fight.
Starting Lineups
Juventus: Buffon; De Sciglio, Barzagli, Chiellini, Asamoah; Bentancur, Khedira; Douglas Costa, Sandro; Dybala, Higuain.
Real Madrid: Navas; Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo; Casemiro; Kroos, Modric; Isco; Ronaldo, Benzema.
How Real Madrid and Juventus were set up
With injuries and suspensions affecting his squad, Massimiliano Allegri had to make changes to his starting lineup and he ultimately fielded a 4-4-2 with young Rodrigo Bentancur partnering Sami Khedira in midfield while both Kwadwo Asamoah and Alex Sandro started out on the left.
On the other hand, Zinedine Zidane decided to deploy a 4-1-2-1-2 (a midfield diamond) in a bid to overcrowd Juve's midfield and thereby put pressure on their defence with numbers around the box.
Isco's role was most crucial in this setup as he was not always at the tip of the diamond. He was given a free role and allowed to roam into space when Real's full-backs Marcelo and Dani Carajal bombed forward and stretched Juve's defence on a number of occasions.
Seeing Real in a narrow diamond, Allegri must have looked forward to his wide men taking on the visitors in 1-vs-1 situations out wide. However, Isco had been given specific instructions to drop into midfield so that Real's 4-4-2 cancelled out Juve's formation.
Real Madrid score early away goal to put pressure on Juventus
2:47. That was all it took for Real Madrid to take the lead in a ground where teams have rarely scored goals, let alone won comfortably. It was the fastest goal ever conceded by Juventus in the Champions League at home and Allegri's side had barely touched the ball.
With nobody marking Isco, the Spaniard had made himself available on the left behind Juve's wide men and stayed onside thanks to Ronaldo and Karim Benzema pushing Juve's defensive line back.
This was a well-worked team goal. As Isco sauntered into the box, Karim Benzema had the most important job here. Ronaldo had hung back as Benzema forced Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli to retreat further into the box.
Benzema then physically managed to screen both centre-backs so Ronaldo had a clear path towards goal. And all he needed was one touch to put away Isco's low cross past Buffon, thereby keeping his record of scoring against Juventus every time he had played them intact.
Juventus fight back before bookings spoil the party
After getting over the shock of conceding early, Juventus stepped up their game and actually dominated proceedings in the first half. Pushed on by the home crowd who let their hostility be known to referee Cuneyt Cakir for every call that went against them, Juventus threatened to score the equaliser a number of times.
Paulo Dybala was central to Juve's attack and he took on the burden of carrying the ball into the final third while Gonzalo Higuain also worked hard to hold up the ball when he could.
However, Keylor Navas and Real's defence stood firm despite the onslaught. Navas himself produced a fantastic reflex save to deny Higuain from a Dybala free-kick which should have made it 1-1 - Juve's best chance of the game.
It would also be Juve's only shot on target over the course of 90 minutes.
Bentancur's yellow card for a foul on Casemiro proved to be the turning point, though. The 20-year-old played very cautiously as a result. At one point Benzema was even allowed to waltz past him with the ball. And the ageing Khedira simply could not handle a midfield of Casemiro, Toni Kroos, and Luka Modric by himself.
With Isco also in the picture and Juve's wide men rarely coming inside to support, Real's midfield made merry. Kroos was even able to test Buffon with a screamer that cannoned off the crossbar while Isco actually managed to complete each and every pass he made in the game.
For all of Dybala's industry on the ball, his off-the-ball antics is what eventually did Juventus in. His first booking came after he dived in the box, attempting to win a penalty as Ramos stood bent over him, castigating him for going down too easily.
Cakir then produced his red card when Dybala was found guilty of a high boot on Carvajal. Although unintentional, it was dangerous play and Juventus were reduced to 10 men with their most crucial player out for the second leg as well.
Real Madrid make man advantage count in final 25 minutes
Once the home side were down to 10 men, there really was no way back. Ronaldo's second goal had come from a counter-attack when he had actually tried to set up substitute Lucas Vazquez whose shot had been parried by Buffon.
Then came what was arguably the goal of the season.
Carvajal had managed to retrieve the ball and send in a cross that was actually directed at Vazquez but Ronaldo made up ground, threw himself into the air and connected cleanly with the ball that was easily eight to nine feet off the ground.
It was a once in a lifetime goal that saw Juventus deflated and resigned to defeat. On his part, Allegri tried to do some damage control by bringing on Blaise Matuidi and Mario Mandzukic but, by the 72nd minute, it was game over when Marcelo bundled the ball over the line after some intricate interplay with Ronaldo.
It was Zidane who then pressed the advantage by bringing on Marco Asensio and Mateo Kovacic to see out the game - an easy task with Juve down to 10 men.
The final whistle was a welcome relief to Juventus who could easily have lost by five goals had Real converted their chances and not hit the woodwork twice.
The Champions League seems to be Real Madrid's playground at the moment with the team always bringing their A-game when the anthem plays before kickoff.
And with a player like Ronaldo leading from the front, Zidane's Real will be very difficult to stop now that they have one foot in the semi-finals.