Juventus’ Spanish forward Alvaro Morata, centre, controlling the ball during the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg football match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid yesterday.
AFP
Madrid
Juventus will face Barcelona in the Champions League final after Alvaro Morata came back to haunt former club and holders Real Madrid with the precious away goal in a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their semi-final yesterday to progress 3-2 on aggregate.
With Juventus leading 2-1 from the first leg, Cristiano Ronaldo’s first-half penalty had put the hosts ahead on away goals.
However, Morata, who left Madrid for the Italian champions last July, struck the vital blow when he volleyed home Paul Pogba’s knockdown on 57 minutes to take Juventus to their first final in 12 years in Berlin on June 6.
Soaring temperatures of over 30 degrees Celsius didn’t prevent a frantic start to the match as the hosts went looking for the goal they needed from the off.
Gareth Bale had the first chance as he headed over Marcelo’s cross before Karim Benzema blasted off target from a narrow angle having turned Stephan Lichtsteiner brilliantly inside the area.
Ronaldo then saw a free-kick deflected narrowly over, but Juventus were also enjoying good spells of possession and Iker Casillas was forced into action on 13 minutes when he turned Arturo Vidal’s effort from the edge of the box to safety.
Benzema breached the Juventus backline once more six minutes later, but his pass was behind Ronaldo and the Portuguese couldn’t turn the ball into an unguarded net.
Juventus did get the all-important away goal just before the hour mark when Madrid failed to fully clear from Andrea Pirlo’s free-kick and Morata was on hand to volley home after Pogba outmuscled Sergio Ramos.
