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Victorious Madrid make CL history!

Real Madrid became the first team in the Champions League era to defend the European Cup after a 4-1 victory over 10-man Juventus in Saturday's Final.

Relive all the drama in Cardiff as it unfolded with Football Espana's liveblog!

Mario Mandzukic's sensational overhead kick cancelled out Cristiano Ronaldo's opener, but the No 7 went on to score his 600th career goal, before Casemiro and Marco Asensio rounded off a memorable rout for Madrid, who also won their first League and European cup double since 1958.

Isco unsurprisingly started over Gareth Bale in Cardiff, but Lucas Vazquez and James Rodriguez missed out completely, the latter having seemingly played his last game for the capital giants.

Juve were also boosted by having no first-team players unavailable, although Andrea Barzagli lined up in a three-man defence, consigning Juan Cuadrado to the bench.

Madrid were looking to become the first club in the modern era to defend the Champions League and the first Blancos side since 1958 to win a League and European cup double.

The Bianconeri, however, flew out the traps, pressing high up the pitch. Gonzalo Higuain had the game’s first chance as his daisy-cutter stung the palms of Keylor Navas, but the goalkeeper eventually gathered.

Miralem Pjanic then smacked a half-volley on target, but it was pushed away by Keylor, who magnificently got a hand on the shot, down to his right.

Those misses would prove costly as Cristiano Ronaldo, the epitome of precision, played a one-two with Dani Carvajal, before stroking a finish home, albeit with a slight deflection off Leonardo Bonucci.

With that, the Portuguese became the first player in history to score in three separate Champions League finals, although he promptly miscued a diving header at Gianluigi Buffon’s far post.

Yet Mandzukic had other ideas, levelling the scores seven minutes later with an incredible bicycle kick that looped over Keylor and into the back of the net.

The game still seemed to be in a state of shock from Mandzukic’s wonder goal after the restart, but Zinedine Zidane opted against bringing on Bale and kept the status quo.

Indeed, Madrid soon had their first proper spell of sustained pressure, and Ronaldo missed Marcelo’s cross at the far post by a whisker.

Los Blancos’ mounting dominance paid off as Juve failed to clear their lines from an attack, allowing Casemiro to fire a long-range effort past Buffon via ex-madridista Sami Khedira.

Ronaldo then grabbed his 600th career goal, finishing off Luka Modric’s cross from the right-hand byline, but couldn’t tuck away Marcelo’s low cross after Karim Benzema had waltzed past several Bianconeri defenders.

Nothing Max Allegri did, from bringing on Cuadrado to reverting to a 4-2-3-1 system, worked, although Alex Sandro’s glancing header on Dani Alves’ free kick flew inches wide of Keylor’s far post.

Having been on for barely 20 minutes, Cuadrado was sent off for two bookable offences, but the winger could count himself unlucky as his push on Sergio Ramos was wholly exaggerated by the defender.

Nonetheless, Marco Asensio marked his appearance off the bench with a simple tap-in from a cutback to confirm Madrid’s status as Europe’s best over the past nine months.

Juventus 1-4 Real Madrid

Mandzukic 27, Cuadrado sent off 84 (J) Ronaldo 20, 64, Casemiro 61, Asensio 90 (RM)

Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli (Cuadrado 90), Bonucci, Chiellini; Alves, Pjanic (Marchisio 70), Khedira, Alex Sandro; Dybala (Lemina 78), Higuain, Mandzukic

Real Madrid: Keylor; Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo; Modric, Casemiro, Kroos (Morata 89); Isco (Asensio 82); Benzema (Bale 77), Ronaldo

Referee: Brych (GER)

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