AP
Lisbon, May 25
Real Madrid won the Champions League final Saturday for its record 10th European title, scoring three times in the second period of extra time to beat Atletico Madrid 4-1.
Gareth Bale scored on a header in the 110th minute, Marcelo connected in the 118th and Cristiano Ronaldo capped the spree on a penalty kick.
Atletico was on the brink of victory in regulation time, but Real’s Sergio Ramos tied it on a header in the third minute of stoppage time at the end of 90 minutes.
Diego Godin put Atletico ahead when his 35th-minute header looped into the Real goal left vacant by goalkeeper Iker Casillas’ rush out.Atletico – which had to substitute striker Diego Costa early in the first half – simply wore out in extra time, failing to follow up on the Spanish league title it won last weekend.
Had Atletico held on for its first European title, Ronaldo and Bale would have shared the blame for a series of missed chances in the 90 minutes.
Instead, the star forwards – both signed for world-record transfer fees – added to their storied club’s history in club soccer’s most prestigious competition.
Real coach Carlo Ancelotti also tied the competition record with three victories as a coach, after winning in 2003 and ’07 with AC Milan. The Italian is the fifth coach to win with two clubs.
Casillas also won his third Champions League title, following victories in 2000 and ’02.
The teams took chances by fielding players below full fitness, and a bruising first half tested their readiness and resolve.
Ronaldo and Bale were both sent tumbling by tough tackles within 3 minutes, and Atletico’s Costa was forced out early.
Costa hobbled off after 9 minutes, making it clear that the gamble by coach Diego Simeone to put him in the starting lineup had backfired. Costa also exited last weekend in a 1-1 draw at Barcelona in the Spanish league decider and received a horse placenta treatment on his right hamstring during the week.
Four minutes after Bale wasted Real’s best early chance, scooping a left-foot shot wide from 12 yards, Godin made Real pay.
Casillas charged from his line when Juanfran lifted a high ball toward the penalty spot, and was stranded when Godin rose to loop a header toward the empty goal. The ball crossed the goal line before the goalkeeper could swipe it away.
In a second half of increasingly hectic Real attacks, Ronaldo tested Thibaut Courtois with a curling free kick but was off target with a pair of headers.
Bale was guilty of a series of miscued shots with the outside of his left boot, and a handball in the Atletico penalty area that added to Real fans’ frustrations.
Atletico was less than 2 minutes from the title when its tough defensive line was finally breached on Ramos’ sixth goal in seven games, including two in the semifinal against defending champion Bayern Munich.
NUMBER CRUNCHER
Stunning stats from Real Madrid vs Aletico
Here are the top stats from Real Madrid’s 4-1 Champions League final win over Atletico Madrid in Lisbon on Saturday night:
– Carlo Ancelotti is only the second coach to win a record three Champions League trophies after Bob Paisley (Liverpool 1977, 1978, 1981).
– Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 67th CL goal in the final, equalling to Lionel Messi in second place in the all-time top scorer list behind Raúl (71).
– Ronaldo is only the second player after Vasovic (Partizan Belgrade vs Real in 1966 and Ajax vs AC Milan in 1969) to score for two clubs in CL finals.
– Ronaldo has scored 17 goals in the 2013/14 Champions League — this is a record for a single European Cup season.
– Gareth Bale is the first Welsh player to score in a Champions League final.
– Real Madrid have only converted one of their three penalties in the Champions League this season.
– Sergio Ramos has now scored six times in his last seven appearances in all competitions. Will he continue the run at the World Cup?
– This was 16th final to go into extra-time. 10 times it was followed by a penalty shootout. The last time in 2012 when Chelsea won vs Bayern.
– Sergio Ramos (93’) scored the latest ever goal in regular time in a CL final.
– Real had never won a final of a European competition after going behind at halftime. That record’s been dusted now.
– Six of the last seven teams to score first in the Champions League final have lifted the trophy (Bayern in 2012 failed).
– Diego Costa’s substitution is fastest in a CL final since Liverpool’s Mark Lawrenson went off for Gary Gillespie (3’) in 1985 vs Juventus (fastest). – Raphael Varane (21-029) became the youngest ever French player in a CL final, beating Nicolas Anelka who was 21-071 in 1998, also for Real.
– Real started the match with just three Spanish players — the fewest domestic players they have ever had in starting XI in all of their 13 CL finals.
– Atletico Madrid have scored more headed goals than any other team in the CL this season.
– Ronaldo lifted the trophy in Lisbon — the same city where he made his pro debut 12 years ago in a CL qualifying round match for Sporting vs Inter (0-0).
