The latest from the Champions League final
Ronaldo named man of the match
Cristiano Ronaldo was named man of the match in the Champions League final. The Portugal forward scored two goals in the 4-1 win over Juventus at the Millennium Stadium.
Real Madrid beat Juventus to win Champions League
Real Madrid is the European champion again, and Cristiano Ronaldo was the star again.
The 12-time champions from the Spanish capital became the first team in the Champions League era to win back-to-back titles with their 4-1 victory over Juventus at the Millennium Stadium.
Madrid started the competition, then known as the European Cup, with five straight titles from 1956-60. But since the 1992-93 season, when it was rebranded the Champions League, no team had been able to successfully defend its title. Until now.
Ronaldo scored two of the goals, making him the leading scorer in the competition for the fifth straight season with 12 - one more than Lionel Messi. He also became the first man to score in three finals, adding to his goals in the 2008 and 2014 finals. It was also the second Champions League title won under coach Zinedine Zidane, the former France great who took over at his old club last season and led it to the Spanish league title last month.
Asensio gives Madrid 4-1 lead in 90th
GOAL: Marco Asensio scores for Real Madrid in the 90th minute.
Real Madrid leads Juventus 4-1 in the Champions League final.
El Gol de @marcoasensio10 y ya es paliza!! || #Asensio || #UCLfinal#Juventus 1 - #RealMadrid 4 || Final de la #ChampionsLeague pic.twitter.com/SXvQxI8iEL— CHINO ® (@CesarDefazC) June 3, 2017
Juventus defender Cuadrado sent off in 84th
RED CARD: Juventus defender Juan Cuadrado was sent off in the 84th minute after getting a second yellow card. Cuadrado came on as a substitute in the 66th minute.
Bale comes on for Real Madrid in 77th
Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale entered the Champions League final in the 77th minute, replacing Karim Benzema. The Cardiff native was left out of the starting lineup after missing much of the second half of the season because of injuries, including an ankle ailment that forced him to undergo surgery in November. Francisco "Isco" Alarcon started in Bale's place.
Ronaldo scores again
Cristiano Ronaldo scored another for Real Madrid, right after Casemiro had put their team back in front in the Champions League final. Ronaldo scored in the 64th minute from close range after Luka Modric made a run on the right side of the area and crossed the ball back in. Modric had intercepted the ball near the midfield to start the play. The goal made it 3-1 against Juventus.
Cristiano Ronaldo Second Goal Juventus vs Real Madrid 1-3 Champions League 03 June 2017: https://t.co/dOSoFMXFAF melalui @YouTube— Mawra (@Rafi_Rez) June 3, 2017
Three minutes earlier, Casemiro put Madrid back in the lead with a long-range shot.
After the Juventus defense partially cleared a shot by Toni Kroos, Casemiro got to the ball and sent a mid-height shot that deflected off Sami Khedira before entering the right corner of Gianluigi Buffon's net, who stretched out his arms but could not reach the ball.
Ronaldo's goal was his 12th in the Champions League this season, allowing him to surpass Lionel Messi as the competition's top scorer.
He will almost certainly become the first player to be the competition's leading scorer for five straight seasons.
Casemiro scores
GOAL: Casemiro scores for Real Madrid in the 61st minute. Real Madrid leads Juventus 2-1 in the Champions League final.
Casemiro Goal Juventus vs Real Madrid 1 2 Champions League Final 03 06 2017 HD: https://t.co/9jUQfyhJJP via @YouTube— Sports legends (@sportslegends55) June 3, 2017
Modric's first shot on target
Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric had the first shot on target in the second half, but the ball flew safely into the arms of Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. The teams are still even at 1-1 in the 55th minute of the Champions League final.
Second half begins
The second half of the Champions League final has started with Juventus and Real Madrid even at 1-1. If the score remains tied after 90 minutes, the teams will play 30 minutes of extra time. If it's still tied, there will be penalty kicks.
500th goal
Cristiano Ronaldo's goal against Juventus was Real Madrid's 500th in the Champions League, the first team to reach that mark. He also scored the team's 400th in the competition. The goal also extended Madrid's streak of scoring at least one goal in 65 matches.
Juventus - Real Madrid ● Champions League ● Cristiano Ronaldo ● 0:1: https://t.co/S0G1b9vIAA на @YouTube— Subscribe bro (@subscribercy) June 3, 2017
Juventus and Real Madrid 1-1 at halftime
Cristiano Ronaldo put Real Madrid ahead in the Champions League final, but Juventus quickly hit back with a superb overhead shot by Mario Mandzukic to leave the teams level 1-1 at halftime.
After being set up with a touch pass by Gonzalo Higuain inside the area, Mandzukic used his chest to control the ball and sent a 27th-minute volley over goalkeeper Keylor Navas with his back to the goal.
Seven minutes earlier, Ronaldo scored with a low shot from just inside the box after a pass by defender Dani Carvajal from the right flank following a breakaway that started with Karim Benzema near midfield. Juventus had started well, creating most of the chances, but Madrid steadily evened the action at the Millennium Stadium. The teams had fewer chances going into halftime.
Mandzukic scores
Mario Mandzukic scored with an amazing overhead shot from inside the area to put Juventus level with Real Madrid 1-1 in the Champions League final.
Gonzalo Higuain set up Mandzukic with a touch pass, and the Croatian forward controlled the ball with his chest and sent a volley over goalkeeper Keylor Navas with his back to the goal.
I liked a @YouTube video https://t.co/mgOTFZ5661 Mario Mandzukic Incredible Goal - Juventus vs Real Madrid 1-1 - Champions League— Umer (@187Umer) June 3, 2017
Earlier, Cristiano Ronaldo fed Dani Carvajal on the right flank and the defender sent a low cross back for Ronaldo inside the area. The Portugal forward scored with a low shot into the far corner, with Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon diving but not being able to reach the ball.
Goal by Mandzukic
GOAL: Mario Mandzukic scores for Juventus in the 27th minute.
Juventus and Real Madrid are even at 1-1 in the Champions League final.
Goal by Ronaldo
GOAL: Cristiano Ronaldo scores for Real Madrid in the 20th minute.
Madrid leads Juventus 1-0 in Champions League final.
Champions League final still scoreless
After 10 minutes, it's still scoreless in the Champions League final and Juventus is still the better team. Real Madrid has improved, making it harder for Juventus to get out its own area, but the chances in the match so far belong to the Italian team.
Higuain puts two balls on target
Juventus forward Gonzalo Higuain put two balls on target in the opening minutes of the Champions League final. Higuain first sent a header toward the net that Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas easily controlled. A few seconds later, a shot from Higuain was fumbled briefly by Navas but he soon got a hold of it. Two more attempts from Juventus soon followed, putting the Italian team in control at the start.
Champions League final underway
The Champions League final between Juventus and Real Madrid has started, a bit later than scheduled for the second year in a row. Again because the opening ceremony ran long, the match started a short time after its 7:45pm (10:45pm in UAE) local time slot.
BEP performs on stage
The Black Eyed Peas performed on a makeshift stage in the middle of the field before the Champions League final as part of the opening ceremony.
With pyrotechnics and dancers around the stage, the hip-hop group played for several minutes. The dancers soon emerged on the field with huge flags for both teams, Juventus and Real Madrid.
160m views estimated
The Champions League final is set to be viewed in more than 200 territories.
UEFA estimates a global television audience of more than 160 million.
Players clear the field
With 15 minutes to go before kickoff in the Champions League final, the players have cleared the field and the opening ceremony is about to begin.
The players for Juventus and Real Madrid went back into the locker rooms as a giant tarp was pulled over the field by dozens of soldiers in uniform.
Real Madrid practice volleys
Real Madrid is practicing volleys akin to the one Zinedine Zidane scored for the team in the 2002 Champions League final. Zidane scored one of the greatest goals in the competition's history when he volleyed in a shot against Bayer Leverkusen, giving Madrid its ninth European Cup. The players lined up inside the area as a coach sent in volleys to kick on goal.
Players warm up on field
Cristiano Ronaldo and the rest of the players on Real Madrid and Juventus are on the field warming up for the Champions League final. The players walked through the tunnel and onto the field to a huge roar from the thousands of Real Madrid and Juventus supporters already in the stadium with about 40 minutes to go before kickoff. Juventus came out first, followed by Madrid.
Isco starts ahead of Bale
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane will play with Francisco "Isco" Alarcon instead of Gareth Bale in the starting lineup. Bale, who was born in Cardiff, was left out of the squad despite having fully recovered from injuries that had kept him sidelined for several months, including an ankle ailment that forced him to undergo surgery in November.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema were set to play up front, while Dani Carvajal, who missed some recent games because of a muscle injury, was set to start at right back in place of Danilo. There were no surprises in the Juventus lineup, with Gonzalo Higuain leading the offense alongside Paulo Dybala and Mario Mandzukic.
Lineups for the Champions League final
Juventus: Gianluigi Buffon" Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Barzagli" Dani Alves, Alex Sandro, Miralem Pjanic, Sami Khedira" Mario Mandzukic, Paulo Dybala, Gonzalo Higuain.
Real Madrid: Keylor Navas" Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane, Marcelo, Dani Carvajal" Casemiro, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Francisco "Isco" Alarcon" Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema.
Players head straight to field
A handful of players from both Juventus and Real Madrid went straight onto the field after arriving for the Champions League final. Still in street clothes, the Juventus players were loudly greeted by the Italian crowd. A few steps away, some Real Madrid players were also lingering on the field.
Juventus bus arrives
And now the Juventus bus has arrived. Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri was one of the first to get off, leading the way as his team gets ready to face Real Madrid in the Champions League final.
Real Madrid bus arrives
The bus carrying Cristiano Ronaldo and his Real Madrid teammates has arrived at the Millennium Stadium for the Champions League final.
Madrid will take on Juventus in its quest to win a 12th European Cup. Madrid is also trying to become the first team in the Champions League era to win back-to-back titles.
Field inspection begins
The match officials are out inspecting the field at the Millennium Stadium for the Champions League final. Dressed in green jackets and black pants, the group of officials checked the nets to make sure they were ready. The referee for Saturday's match between Juventus and Real Madrid is Felix Brych of Germany.
Huge screens to show match
Real Madrid fans who could not make the trip to Cardiff for the Champions League final will be able to watch the match on huge screens inside the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Four screens will be placed at midfield for fans willing to pay 10 euros ($11) to be at the stadium for Saturday's match against Juventus. Several attractions will be organised before the game to keep the fans entertained.
Security receives praise
The security at the Millennium Stadium received some praise from a few Juventus supporters. Nicholas Borghi, a 51-year-old bar owner from Milan, said passing through security for the Champions League final between Juventus and Real Madrid was easy.
"In Italy, it's more difficult because Juventus is very strict. There are a lot of controls," said Borghi, who was at the match with his friend. "When we go abroad, it's easier for us." Umberto Smiraglia, who was in Cardiff with his nephew, was impressed that things were so smooth considering the recent attack in Manchester. "Great organization, to be honest," Smiraglia said. "I expected it to be worse or at least to be tougher because of what happened in Manchester."
Fans turn stadium into sea of colours
The fans have entered the Millennium Stadium for the Champions League final. The side that will seat the Madrid fans is loaded with purple and white flags, the team's colours. The other side already has some Juventus banners lying on the seats ready to be deployed.
The scoreboards on either side of the stadium are ready, too, with the message of "Welcome" in English, Italian and Spanish flanked by the crests of the two clubs. Along the side of the screen is an image of the Champions League trophy, often referred to as the European Cup.
800 free tickets
Members of Real Madrid's first team received 800 tickets to give away to guests for the final. Madrid received 17,518 tickets for the final, with about 15,000 allocated to club members. The club conducted a lottery to accommodate the more than 44,000 requests it received for the tickets to Saturday's final.
Stadium roof shut
With less than four hours to go before the Champions League final, the roof at the Millennium Stadium is being closed. Saturday's match between Real Madrid and Juventus will be the first Champions League final played under a closed roof. The match will be played indoors because of security fears.
Plane carrying Real Madrid players' relatives delayed
The charter plane carrying relatives of Real Madrid players was delayed for more than an hour in Spain because of the high number of flights arriving at Cardiff's airport for the Champions League final against Juventus.
Players' relatives used social media to talk about the delay. Spanish daily Marca said the flight was still expected to make it to Cardiff in good time for the final. Cardiff Airport was at capacity because of the high influx of fans arriving from Spain and Italy.
Trains packed with fans
Trains arriving at Cardiff were packed with Italian and Spanish fans who spent the night in nearby cities because of the limited hotel capacity in the Welsh capital. Many fans were unable to find a place to stay in Cardiff and had to seek alternatives in neighboring cities, such as Bristol.
"It was impossible to find a place to stay in Cardiff, everything was booked well in advance," said Real Madrid fan Mario Herrero, who made the trip of about one hour from Bristol into Cardiff. "We had to look for hotels in other cities, it was the only solution."
Most trains were filled to capacity but there were no reports of problems for fans arriving at Cardiff's main station. With a population of just 350,000, Cardiff is one of the smallest cities to host a Champions League final.
Expensive tickets
Fans still wanting to watch the Champions League final are being charged hefty amounts of money by ticket scalpers. Tickets were going for up to 1,500 euros ($1,700) outside Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, ahead of the final between Juventus and Real Madrid. Police were warning fans against the possibility of forged tickets.
Black Eyed Peas promise great show
The Black Eyed Peas are promising an energetic show when they perform at the Champions League final. The Grammy Award-winning eclectic hip-hop group will be entertaining the Cardiff stadium crowd just before Juventus and Real Madrid meet in the biggest club game in world soccer.
Black Eyed Peas member will.i.am promised "lots of energy."
Will.i.am told The Associated Press that "there's a lot of eyeballs, a lot of football fans and hopefully we can bring a lot of music fans to watch us too. So, unlike the Super Bowl and the World Cup, this is the second time we've had music at a UEFA opening ceremony, so we're happy to be number two."
Thousands descend on Welsh capital
Thousands of Real Madrid and Juventus fans turned Cardiff's city centre into a sea of colour as the hours ticked down to kickoff for the eagerly-anticipated Champions League final. The match kicks off at 10.45 pm and will be telecast live on beIN Sports
After a low-key start to the Welsh capital's festival of football, with the majority of fans only arriving on Saturday, a good-natured carnival atmosphere built throughout the day.
Real Madrid, for whom Cardiff native Gareth Bale is likely to be amongst the substitutes, are bidding for a record-extending 12th European title by becoming the first team to win the present format of the Champions League two seasons running.
Italian giants Juventus, twice European champions, have not won it since 1996 and have lost a record six finals.
The final will be the first in the competition's history to be played under cover with UEFA deciding last month that the retractable roof over the 74,000-seater Principality Stadium would be closed.
Outside in the city centre, under cloudy skies, fans descended on Cardiff's various landmarks with many snapping souvenir photos alongside the castle walls emblazoned with huge photographs of some of the biggest names in Champions League.
A giant inflatable Champions League trophy adorned the ramparts alongside a Welsh dragon.
Hundreds of Real fans, nearly all of them wearing replica shirts, staged impromptu games of football in the busy shopping streets and went through their repertoire of club anthems.
Many sought out Wales international Bales's bar named "Elevens" after the number on his shirt.
They were in confident mood.
"Real Madrid is going to win. We are going to go home and we are going to celebrate. 2-0. (Cristiano) Ronaldo is going to score today. You will see that," Real fan Jakob insisted while his friend Carlos went further. "I think we are going to destroy Juventus." Juventus fans will need no reminding that they lost to Real Madrid in the 1998 final held in Amsterdam and two years ago fell to Barcelona in Berlin.
"Above all, this time around, we should overcome our psychological problem. Because we have lost too many finals. And this time it should go well, I hope so with all my heart," Juve fan Fabio Bramvilla, wearing the classic black and white striped Juventus jersey, said.
Another Juventus supporter carried a banner with the slogan "Santo Gigi" above a photo of goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon who, at 39, could become the oldest player to win the European Cup.
With inputs from agencies
