Juventus seeking a treble, Real Madrid seeking to become the first back-to-back winners of the Champions League – Saturday’s final was bound to be historic regardless of who won.
Ultimately, it was Madrid grabbing the headlines, as a thrilling first half in which Cristiano Ronaldo’s opener was cancelled out by one of the best goals in Champions League final history, from Mario Mandzukic, was followed by a second half in which Los Blancos ended up pulling away.
Goals from Casemiro, Ronaldo, and Marco Asensio saw Madrid cruise to a 4-1 win and etch their name in Champions League history.
Here are three things you may have missed from Saturday’s final…
THIS CRAZY FACT ABOUT GIANLUIGI BUFFON
Gigi Buffon has been team-mates with players born in 1958 and 2000, and with players born in six different decades.
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) June 3, 2017
50s
60s
70s
80s
90s
00s pic.twitter.com/4kEz9RJGcG
The Juventus keeper is 39, so it’s fair to say he’s been around a long time.
Just how long, however, was put into perspective by this excellent factoid that was revealed in the buildup to the final. The Italian legend’s connection to the game goes as far back as the 1950s.
It would be interesting to know what former Parma midfielder Giovanni Galli, who’s now a politician, thinks of his erstwhile teammate now…
RONALDO VS MESSI? PHIL NEVILLE HAS HIS SAY…
Ronaldo is better than Messi
— Philip Neville (@fizzer18) June 3, 2017
The never-ending Ronaldo vs Messi debate was given more fuel on Saturday, as Ronaldo’s brace took him past Messi and to the top of season’s Champions League scoring charts.
Some opinions in the debate carry a little more weight than others. That of a former teammate of Ronaldo’s, and a former Manchester United player speaking on Ronaldo, another former Red Devil…possibly not so much.
Phil Neville was unequivocal on where he stands. The rest of Twitter was about as adamant about where they stand on the younger Neville brother.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST CONGRATULATE MADRID, THEMSELVES
👏 Congratulations to @realmadriden on their back-to-back European titles, becoming the second team to do so since Brian Clough's #NFFC
— Nottingham Forest FC (@NFFC) June 3, 2017
Nottingham Forest have had a rough few years, and they survived relegation to the third tier of English football this season only on goal difference. So they can be forgiven for wanting to relive past glories.
They found a cheeky way to pat themselves on the back on Saturday while congratulating Real Madrid. Most people would use Arrigo Satchi’s AC Milan as the reference point for Madrid’s successive Champions League titles, as Milan were the last team to win two straight European Cups – no team had done it in the Champions League era until Saturday.
Forest, however, wanted to remind everyone who did it before Milan.
