It was a night of tears and despair for Real Madrid as they succumbed to the might of Italian giants Juventus and crashed out of the Champions League after a 1-1 draw (2-3 on aggregate) at the Estadio Santiago Bernebau.
Outside90 club correspondent Roanna Sanelli takes a look at the best individual performances on both sides of the pitch.
Real Madrid
Iker Casillas – 6: It was a solid night for the goalkeeper despite Alvaro Morata’s goal, which could not have been saved. Denied Claudio Marchisio and gave Madridistas hope of an extra-time berth.
Dani Carvajal – 6: Solid defending and tackling from the player who wore his heart on his sleeve.
Marcelo – 7.5: Forget defence, the Brazilian acted as an extra member of the attack as he continually attacked from the wings and provided excellent balls into the goal square. Indeed he also managed to track back and defend when required.
Raphael Varane – 5: Combined well with Carvajal yet not much pressure placed on the defender.
Sergio Ramos – 5: Clumsy in certain moments where solidarity was required and conceded the free kick which resulted in the winning goal.
James Rodriguez – 5.5: Had a limited impact in the midfield yet won the penalty which resulted in another Ronaldo goal.
Isco – 5: Perhaps it was nerves which affected the Spaniard who appeared out of sorts on the pitch. Lacked creativity yet managed to create excellent link-up play with other squad members.
Gareth Bale – 6: The Welshman is not the most popular player in Madrid at the moment and was extremely wasteful with his chances on goal, especially in the final minutes of the match. However, did provide well for his team-mates and had a strong desire for victory.
Toni Kroos – 7: As always a great asset in the midfield by creating most plays and covered much ground for the home side.
Cristiano Ronaldo – 7: Scored the penalty which levelled the aggregate scores and was a constant figure of support for the Los Blancos. The Portuguese provided great service for the attack.
Karim Benzema- 5.5: The newly returned Frenchman was not at his best given his recent recovery from injury. Hence was not as clinical in front of goal as required in a Champions League Semi-final.
Substitutes
Javier Hernandez – 5: Replaced Benzema in attack and was threatening. However, never appeared as though he would score.
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Juventus
Gianluigi Buffon – 7: As always, beaten only on penalties on a night where all balls were stopped. Solid display by the veteran.
Giorgio Chiellini – 6.5: Other than the concession of the penalty, it was a flawless defensive performance by the Italian.
Patrice Evra – 5.5: The Frenchman’s defensive skills and experience came into play yet could not contain the force that was Bale.
Leonardo Bonucci – 6.5: Another solid defender whom communicated well with his team-mates.
Stephan Lichtsteiner – 5.5: Managed to frustrate yet not contain Marcelo and was continually tracking-back.
Andrea Pirlo – 5: An average performance from the Maestro whom did not create much in the way of attacking play.
Paul Pogba – 7: A tireless and seamless 90 minutes by the Frenchman whom was a key figure in the midfield. His header set up Morata’s goal.
Arturo Vidal – 6.5: The Chilean was all over the pitch and aided his side in all areas. A typical yet crucial performance.
Claudio Marchisio – 7.5: Along with Pirlo, the Italian had a great influence in the midfield and made numerous chances for his side. He had an exquisite attempt on goal only to be denied by a defiant Casillas.
Alvaro Morata – 6: Well well, the boy who Madrid discarded ended up being their downfall. The Spaniard was crucial in both legs yet scored the winning goal from a Pogba header.
Carlos Tevez – 6: Had a great attacking work-rate although never appeared as though he would score himself.
Substitutes:
Andrea Barzagli – 6: Defensively sound in the small time he had on the pitch.
Roberto Pereyra – N/A: Replaced Pogba and was brought on to basically run down the clock.
Fernando Llorente – N/A: Entered the pitch in the dying minutes to also waste time.
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