Comeback complete!

The Bianconeri knew full what needed to be done and they did exactly that. From the first minute they made their intentions clear and their 3-0 victory meant they did the “impossible” and completed the comeback!

VAR SAYS NO GOAL

The atmosphere was electric, with every inch of the stadium erupting in song and cheer. It was almost the perfect start for Juventus when they had the ball in the back of the net after just three minutes following a corner kick. Giorgio Chiellini – who was making his 500th appearance for the club – toe-poked it over the line after a scramble inside the box. However, after a silent check with VAR, the goal didn’t stand.

While it may have been absorbing in the stands, the play was intense on the field, with the Bianconeri pressing and dominating possession by the 25th minute. However, two decent chances fell to Atletico when Koke fired from range only to see it go over goal, while Antoine Griezmann fired in a powerful effort that stung the fingertips of Wojciech Szczesny.

CR7 HALVES THE DEFICIT

Moments later the stalemate was eventually broken when Federico Bernardeschi delivered a delightful cross into the box, and it was headed home by Cristiano Ronlado. The Tuscan-born midfielder nearly doubled Juventus’ lead in the 32nd minute when he attempted an acrobatic free-kick on the edge of the box that sailed just high of Jan Oblak’s goalframe.

It was all Juventus in the remaining minutes of the first half, Ronaldo, Bernardeschi and Chiellini saw their efforts miss the face of goal, with Oblak pushing away the latter’s efforts. Alvaro Morata had the final crack at goal before the break, when his glancing header sailed just wide of goal.

SIIIIIIIIII!

A big second half was needed by Juventus and Massimiliano Allegri couldn’t have asked for a better start when Ronaldo fired in a glancing header from a Joao Cancelo cross. Oblak was there to parry it away with outstretched arms, but it had crossed the line after a check with goal line technology. 2-0 to Juventus. Game on!

After the hour mark, Paulo Dybala was added into the mix when he replaced Leonardo Spinazzola. Mario Mandzukic tried to turn in a Miralem Pjanic set-piece when he headed the ball just wide of the post in the 73rd minute. In an attempt to avoid extra-time, Allegri went all out attack by introducing last week’s goalscoring hero Moise Kean into the fold in place of the Croatian.

He nearly had an immediate impact when he was fed a goal that saw him beat the offside trap and charge into Atletico’s box. Oblak was the only person he had to beat, but a miss-hit saw Kean skew his effort wide of goal.

COMEBACK COMPLETE

The comeback was eventually completed when Juventus were awarded a penalty after Correa was judged to have brought down Bernardeschi in the box. Ronaldo stood up to the spot and struck a perfectly executed penalty to make it 3-0 and overturn the result. Cool, calm and collected. The perfect ending to a magical night!

Juventus XI: Szczesny; Cancelo, Bonucci, Chiellini, Spinazzola (Dybala 67’); Can, Pjanic, Matuidi; Bernardeschi, Mandzukic (Kean 80’), Cristiano Ronaldo

Substitutes: Perin, Caceres, Rugani, Bentancur, Nicolussi Caviglia, Dybala, Kean

Atletico Madrid XI: Oblak; Arias (Vitolo 77’), Gimenez, Godin, Juanfran; Koke, Rodrigo, Saul, Lemar (Correa 56’); Griezmann; Morata

Substitutes: Adan, Savic, Montero, Vitolo, Mikel Carro, Kalinic, Correa

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