Champions League: Real held their nerve when it mattered most

Dubai: One thing almost guaranteed at a major knockout football tournament is that one of the crucial matches will be decided by the gladiatorial test of nerve from 12 yards between player and goalkeeper.

Another guarantee is that a plethora of pundits will claim penalty shootouts are a lottery and little more than luck.

Taking a penalty is an art. A test of mettle, confidence, wits, technique and ability.

As Atletico Madrid fullback Juanfran’s scuffed effort struck the base of the post, you just knew it would be Cristiano Ronaldo striding forward to claim Real Madrid’s coveted 11th European Cup crown. There was never going to be a ‘John Terry moment’ – the infamous 2008 Champions League final penalty that saw the Chelsea great’s opportunity to win the cup literally slip away.

Derided by many pundits and fans for his performance in the previous 120 minutes – ‘@cristiano you at the game bro?’ was one comment on Twitter, ‘error 404: Cristiano Ronaldo not found’ and ‘Someone contact Lost & Found’ others – the moment, as his former Manchester United teammate Rio Ferdinand said, was written for him.

Big moments need big players.

But let’s not forget also that though Ronaldo was a crucial part of that 2008 Manchester United Champions League winning team, scoring with a thumping header in normal time in the 1-1 draw, he was the ‘Red Devil’ that missed in the shootout, striking a tame effort down the centre for Petr Cech to easily palm away.

On Saturday night, the ultimate modern gladiatorial footballer placed the ball on the spot, strode back, steadied himself as he could, wiped his hands behind his back, ran forward, perfectly gave Jan Oblak the eyes and confidently placed the ball high into the corner. And into another moment of Real Madrid club history.

The decision making of Oblak – great goalkeeper that he is – has to be questioned.

For the first three kicks he stayed completely central – and even with Real’s fourth from Sergio Ramos merely flopped to one side as the captain sent him the wrong way. Many players do nowadays choose the unscientific method of going down the middle – see Antoine Griezmann’s disappointing decision to lose faith in his technique and ability during normal time and stick the laces through it, rattling the crossbar – but Oblak actually made it easier for Lucas Vazquez, Marcelo and Gareth Bale with their kicks.

The run-up from Bale, who was excellent during the game, a constant threat going forward and solid when required defensively, was decidedly stop-start and the strike far from clean.

Speaking of far from clean, while Griezmann’s, Gabi’s and Saul’s penalty efforts in the shootout were all textbook examples of how to take a spot-kick, you feared for Juanfran the moment he stepped up to take the fourth for Diego Simeone’s side.

Penalties a lottery and a matter of luck? Where was Fernando Torres? Where was Yannick Carrasco, the Belgian who was excellent after he came on at half-time with his pace and movement and grabbed Atletico’s equaliser to cancel out Ramos’ early opener? They can’t both have been on the fifth kick.

Juanfran looked hurried the moment he placed the ball down, as if he’d leisurely dived into a swimming pool only to realise there was a congregation of snapping alligators behind him. He couldn’t get out of there quick enough. Will he be blamed for the miss? Of course not.

But penalties are about mettle, confidence, wits, technique and ability.

And whereas the other strikes were well struck, his came off his heel.

The penalty shootout has been the Achilles heel for so many sides since its introduction into world football back in 1970. As Real Madrid celebrate another Champions League triumph, and Zinedine Zidane his first as manager, you can guarantee there will be another side paying the penalty for failure from 12 yards at Euro 2016 this summer.

While the other side celebrate their success at being spot-on.