Atletico Madrid gave their city rivals a huge early scare, but Real Madrid won 4-2 on aggregate and will face Juventus in the Champions League Final on June 3.
Zinedine Zidane’s side felt they had one foot in the Final in Cardiff after winning the first leg 3-0, but from the very start of this final Champions League match at the Estadio Vicente Calderon, Atleti were fired up.
Atletico Madrid gave their city rivals a huge early scare, but Real Madrid won 4-2 on aggregate and will face Juventus in the Champions League Final on June 3.
Zinedine Zidane’s side felt they had one foot in the Final in Cardiff after winning the first leg 3-0, but from the very start of this final Champions League match at the Estadio Vicente Calderon, Atleti were fired up.
It soon paid off, as within 16 minutes they had wiped out two of those three goals from the aggregate score thanks to a Saul Niguez header from a corner and Antoine Griezmann’s penalty.
It wasn’t a great spot-kick and Keylor Navas got a hand to it, but not enough to keep the ball out. Griezmann famously missed a penalty against Real Madrid in last year’s Final, so the pressure was immense after Raphael Varane tripped Fernando Torres.
However, just as they were approaching half-time, Real Madrid got one back and crucially it was an away goal. Karim Benzema somehow squirmed away from three players down the touchline and pulled back for Toni Kroos, forcing a great Jan Oblak save, but Isco tapped in the rebound.
That meant Real Madrid set a new record of scoring in 61 consecutive matches, beating Bayern Munich’s 60 from 2013-14.
Atleti now needed five goals to go through and almost got one on 66 minutes, but Keylor Navas performed a stunning double save on Yannick Carrasco and then Kevin Gameiro follow-up header.
Ronaldo had the ball in the net after a Luka Modric volley, but was incorrectly flagged offside, though one of his teammates was lagging behind.
Former Juventus striker Alvaro Morata was given a late run-out off the bench.
Juve and Real Madrid meet again after the Bianconeri’s 3-2 aggregate victory in the 2015 Champions League semi-final.
They have clashed in the Final before, an offside Predrag Mijatovic goal proving the difference on May 20, 1998 in Amsterdam.
Real Madrid are hoping to become the first side since Milan in 1989 and 1990 to retain the European Cup, although that was before it was transformed into the Champions League.
Atletico Madrid 2-1 Real Madrid (2-4 agg)
Saul Niguez 12 (AM), Griezmann pen 16 (AM), Isco 42 (RM)
Atletico Madrid: Oblak; Gimenez (Thomas 56), Savic, Godin, Filipe Luis; Koke (Correa 76), Gabi, Saul Niguez, Carrasco; Torres (Gameiro 56), Griezmann
Real Madrid: Navas; Danilo, Ramos, Varane, Marcelo; Kroos, Casemiro (Lucas Vazquez 77), Modric; Isco (Morata 87); Benzema (Asensio 76), Ronaldo
Ref: Cakir (TUR)