Where Real Madrid’s ‘BBC’ riches failed, their own cast-off Alvaro Morata flourished for Juventus

Ian Hawkey writes while Gareth Bale put chances off target and Karim Benzema looked rusty for Real Madrid, it was their little-fancied former man Alvaro Morata who was the hero – for Juventus.

Juventus forward Alvaro Morata reacts after scoring against Real Madrid on Wednesday to equalise in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final clash. Dani Pozo / AFP / May 13, 2015

Real Madrid 1

Ronaldo 23’ (pen)

Juventus 1

Morata 57’

(Juventus win 3-2 on aggregate)

There will be no clasico in Berlin on the first weekend of June, but there will plenty of class in the Uefa Champions League, which continues being one the toughest prizes in sport to retain.

The holders, Real Madrid, were eliminated by Juventus, the Italian club grateful for booking their date with Barcelona next month to striker Alvaro Morata, who left Madrid to join Juve in July. His volleyed goal answered a first-half Cristiano Ronaldo penalty kick for a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their semi-final.

With a goal in each leg of a tie Juve won 3-2 on aggregate, Morata has dealt a double blow to his former employers.

He did not celebrate scoring, out of respect for the supporters among whom he grew up, but he cannot help but reflect how much more impact he had in 180 minutes of the semis than two or three of the Madrid strikers whose place in the hierarchy meant Madrid were prepared to sell Morata last summer.

Gareth Bale, more involved than in Turin, put a couple of good chances off target as Madrid chased a fading dream, while Karim Benzema, returning from a month-long injury, showed signs of rustiness when he hit a first-half volley off target.

Ronaldo gave his centre-forward a severe look after that miss, when the Frenchman, leading a counter-attack, misplaced a cross to the Portuguese, as he did several times. Later, Ronaldo would serve Benzema with a similarly flawed pass.

The creative part of the move was performed skilfully, the final ball a let-down. In the second instance, Ronaldo left Stephan Lichtsteiner on the turf as he twisted past the Juventus full-back. Unusually, he then spurned a good opportunity to shoot in order to serve his colleague.

Ronaldo had by then scored his 77th Champions League goal – only Barcelona’s Lionel Messi has as many in the history of the European Cup – converted from the penalty spot.

He had been involved in the preceding move, pushing the ball to James Rodriguez, who felt his calf clipped by the boot of Giorgio Chiellini and fell. Referee Jonas Eriksson, who later cautioned Rodriguez for simulation when Arturo Vidal challenged him the box, saw Chiellini’s infringement.

For Ronaldo, there may have been extra nerves with Gianluigi Buffon before him. Not only because a place in a Champions League final was at stake, but because on Saturday, Ronaldo had one of his spot kicks saved in the 2-2 draw with Valencia which may have ended Madrid’s hopes of capturing the Spanish league title.

But if he had butterflies, he did not show them. He struck his penalty towards the centre of the goal as Buffon dived right.

Juventus had lost their lead in the tie, and chasing it, they left space for Madrid to exploit. Buffon, who had earlier saved a Bale drive, kept out a Benzema shot at his near post, while Ronaldo, put through by a Bale pass, put a shot into the side-netting.

Madrid looked stronger after half time, too, a break from which they took the pitch nearly two minutes later than the Italians. Gamesmanship? Perhaps, but it was the home side who suffered the nasty surprise.

Morata’s goal was well-taken. Madrid keeper Iker Casillas looked to have ended the danger in a rare Juve attack with a punched clearance, but the ball came back into his box, Paul Pogba won a header over Sergio Ramos, and when the ball came to Morata, he chested it and hit a powerful volley that bounced to clear Casillas’s reach.

Thanks to their Madrileno, Juve are on their way to their first Champions League final for 12 years.

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