The UEFA Champions League finals was an all Madrid affair. The final was an El Derbi Madrileño. Real Madrid finally achieved the La Decima (the tenth) Champions League trophy after 12 years. Though Real Madrid won the match 4-1 on the night, they were on the brink on losing out on their 10th Champions League trophy as they were trailing by one goal to Atletico Madrid till the 93rd minute.
Atletico Madrid suffered a major setback in the first ten minutes itself as their top scorer, Diego Costa had to go off the field as the Spanish striker pulled his hamstring. The La Liga winners took the lead in the match at the 36th minute. Atletico Madrid defender Diego Godin headed the ball into Real's net as Iker Casillas was off the line and failed to clear the ball. Real Madrid were under immense pressure after conceding that dreadful goal as it was a silly mistake by Casillas to stay off the line. The score-line remained constant till the additional 5 minutes added after the 90 minutes were complete. Atletico Madrid were mere two minutes away from getting their hands on their first ever Champions League trophy, but Real Madrid spoiled Diego Simeone party. Real Madrid equalized the score on the 93rd minute, courtesy Sergio Ramos' header off Luck Modric's corner kick. Ramos played an important part in Real Madrid's semi-final victory over Bayern Munich in the second leg, as the Spanish defender scored two goals in that match.
Ramos' header was frustrating for Simeone and his men as despite of keeping hold of the lead, they conceded the goal in the dying stages of the match. That goal turned out to be a psychological boost for Carlo Ancelotti's men as the equalizer put them in the driver's seat. Real Madrid gained confidence in the extra-time period and played much better compared to the first half. The tables turned in the extra-time period as Real Madrid took the lead for the first time at the 110th as the €100 million signing Gareth Bale scored a header off Angel Di Maria's shot, which was initially saved by Atletico Madrid goal-keeper Thibaut Courtois.
With Bale's goal debilitated Atletico Madrid, which resulted in two more goals for Los Blancos. Marcelo added the the third goal in 118th minute and the icing on the cake was added by Ronaldo, as he added the fourth goal from the penalty spot at the 120th minute. This victory is Carlo Ancelotti's third Champions League glory, the previous two coming with AC Milan, in 2003 and 2007. Ancelotti has also beaten Mourinho, becoming the first man since Bob Paisley to win Champions League three times as a coach. Ancelotti expressed his happiness after the match. He said: "We have done it with a lot of suffering and difficulty, but in the end we have done it and we deserved it. I am very happy for this because we have won a trophy that for Real Madrid is very important. We have worked hard all year for this." - Sky Sports.
Sergio Ramos, the savior for Real Madrid was extremely happy on his equalizing goal. This is what he said: "It is the most important goal I have scored. It is an incredible feeling. We kept fighting until the end for the fans. It is not my goal, but one for all Madrid fans, my family and all those that have supported us until the end. We deserved it after so many years." - Sky Sports.
Gareth Bale has admitted that winning the champions League with Real Madrid is like a dream come true. He said: "I’ve learned from past experience to keep going, forget about the chances you’ve missed and keep persevering. Thankfully I got the decisive goal. It was great to see it go in. I came here to play in big competitions and win trophies. This is what every footballer dreams of and it doesn’t get any bigger in club football. Lifting that trophy is a feeling you can’t describe and it will be a memory I will never forget.” - The Guardian.
Diego Simeone expressed his feelings as well, as he said its "bitter". He said: "I don't feel sad. It's bitterness that I feel for not reaching my goal. Now the calmness is stronger and it has overcome this situation. The match ends when the referee wants, I've nothing else to say on the matter. Real Madrid were better in the second half of the game. We were all tired but they got a little better. I tried to tell my team that they remained competitive throughout the match and I am always proud of my players - they fought until the end with a lot of humility. We were locked in the middle of the pitch with nowhere to go and that makes things very difficult. Football is marvelous for that. At times, it teaches us that winning is everything and it is the most important. Losing is not worthy of a tear, we need to keep our heads up and prepare for next season. It is part of the game but obviously you have the two situations. But we gave everything and other people know that Atletico can compete. We're working for the best. We won a marvellous Liga, which is day to day and we came close to an international competition, which is good for business." - Goal.com.
Real Madrid's dream of record tenth Champions League trophy has finally come true.
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